Team: 2022-23 Washington Capitals

Initial Creation Date: May 18, 2022

Published: May 18, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

This is what the Washington Capitals could look like if they moved a few pieces and made some splashes in free agency.

Players Let Walk:
-Marcus Johansson (old, little contribution)
-Johan Larsson (old, 4th line works fine without him)
-Justin Schultz (old, Alexeyev looks promising and ready to take spot)
-Matt Irwin (decent but unnecessary, could serve as a 7th D but so can others)
-Michal Kempny (simply not NHL level since leg injuries)

Players Traded:
-Lars Eller
Eller is on an expiring contract and likely will not be re-signed. Also, McMichael seems to be ready to be a permanent 3C on the team for much cheaper.
-Conor Sheary
Sheary has been excellent for Washington but if they really want to compete next season they will have to move on. Also on an expiring contract.

Players Signed:
-Evgeni Malkin, 9 million for 1 year
Malkin makes a lot of sense to sign with the Capitals. They need a 2C with Backstrom out, Malkin is friends with the 4 Russians on the team, and they have the cap space. The only issue is term, as I doubt Malkin would be willing to sign for just one year.
-VIlle Husso, 6.5 million for 5 years
Ville Husso wants a pay raise that St. Louis might not be able to give him. The Capitals need a proven starting goalie and Husso is exactly that.

Players Re-Signed:
-Ilya Samsonov, 2 million for 3 years
A backup goalie contract. Hopefully backing up Husso will let him reach his full potential by the end of his contract and he can become the starting goalie.

Lineup:
- Line 1, Pairs 1 and 2 remain the same
The TKO line was pretty good towards the end of the season. All 3 D pairs were solid during the regular season and didn't seem to like being mixed up, so Pairs 1 and 2 will stay the same.
- Line 2
Mantha-Eller-WIlson was a promising line towards the end of last season, and signing Malkin is a huge upgrade as it gives them an elite center. Fun fact: the average height of this line is 6 feet 4 inches, and Malkin is the shortest one on it at 6 feet 3 inches.
- Line 3
McMichael is much more comfortable in the middle than anywhere else and needs some
more NHL reps before getting more minutes, so Line 3 made sense. Signing Rodrigues will give that line a lot of scoring help.
- Line 4
AJF fits in perfectly on this line, there was no difference between him and Hagelin/Johansson being on
it.
- Pair 3
Rookie Alexeyev takes Schultz's place on the third pair since it wouldn't make sense to
break up the others.


This roster adds some youth, keeps the core, and fills needs. Nicklas Backstrom is on LTIR as Breakdown Day reports suggest that he needs serious hip surgery, some analysts even suggesting retirement/LTIR retirement. Carl Hagelin will also remain on LTIR as he will never have 100% vision in his left eye again, although he does hope to return to play. This roster fills the Capitals'need for an elite 2C and goalie, as well as adding some more depth scoring. Admittedly, the signings/trades are a bit questionable and I doubt all of them would go through. But that's why it's Armchair GM and not a real team.

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