The Washington Capitals have officially announced their 23-man opening night roster for the 2025-26 NHL season. The team is set to face the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena on Wednesday, October 8th, marking the start of their 51st season.
The roster comprises 13 forwards, 8 defensemen, and 2 goaltenders. Leading the charge is captain Alex Ovechkin, embarking on his 21st season with the Capitals. Alternate captains John Carlson and Tom Wilson will also play key roles.
Forwards:
The forward lines are expected to feature:
- Aliaksei Protas, Dylan Strome, Alex Ovechkin
- Connor McMichael, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Tom Wilson
- Anthony Beauvillier, Hendrix Lapierre, Ryan Leonard
- Brandon Duhaime, Nic Dowd, Justin Sourdif
- Sonny Milano (extra forward)
The Capitals' offense is spearheaded by Ovechkin, who is chasing history as he aims to become the first player to reach 900 career goals; he needs just three more to hit the milestone. Last season, the line of Ovechkin, Strome, and Protas combined for an impressive 221 points. The second line, featuring McMichael, Dubois, and Wilson, also exceeded expectations, with each player surpassing the 50-point mark.
New additions Lapierre and Sourdif are set to bolster the bottom-six forwards. Ryan Leonard is preparing for his rookie season after gaining experience with the team in eight regular-season and eight playoff games last season. Sonny Milano is currently dealing with an upper-body injury, which might affect his availability for opening night.
Defensemen:
The defensive pairings are projected as follows:
- Martin Fehervary, John Carlson
- Jakob Chychrun, Trevor van Riemsdyk
- Rasmus Sandin, Declan Chisholm
- Vincent Iorio (extra defenseman)
- Matt Roy (injured)
- Dylan McIlrath (injured reserve)
Defenseman Dylan McIlrath has been placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Declan Chisholm recently suffered a skate cut during practice, but the injury is not expected to be serious.
Goaltenders:
The Capitals will rely on the tandem of:
- Logan Thompson
- Charlie Lindgren
Additional Roster Notes:
Ivan Miroshnichenko has been assigned to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Ethen Frank and Clay Stevenson were also assigned to Hershey after clearing waivers.
The Capitals have approximately $3.3 million in projected cap space. The current roster setup would allow them to add a significant amount in contracts by the trade deadline, should they choose to do so.
The Washington Capitals finished the 2024-25 regular season as the top team in the Eastern Conference with a record of 51-22-9. With a blend of returning stars and promising new faces, the team is aiming for another successful season and a deep playoff run.
