The Washington Capitals are set to enter the 2024-25 season without either of their long-time top-six centermen, Nicklas Backstrom or Evgeny Kuznetsov. In fact, all four of their centers from Game 5 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights (Jay Beagle) are gone, despite the team managing to keep their top three (Lars Eller) for nearly seven years after acquiring Eller from the Montreal Canadiens in June 2016. All of these departures have occurred since March 1, 2023, not that long ago. So how did the team get to where they are today down the middle? NoVa Caps takes a look.
2022-23 Season
Below, you can find the Capitals’ forward lineup on February 26, 2023, Eller’s final game with Washington:
Alex Ovechkin — Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson
Conor Sheary — Backstrom — Craig Smith
Sonny Milano — Dylan Strome — T.J. Oshie
Eller — Nic Dowd — Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Scratched: C Aliaksei Protas
- March 1, 2023: traded Eller to Colorado Avalanche for 2025 second-round pick
With Eller approaching unrestricted free agency and Washington spiraling out of postseason contention after dropping seven of their previous eight games, the team dealt him to Colorado.
The Capitals flipped the draft pick acquired from the Avalanche for left-wing Andrew Mangiapane on June 27, as they needed scoring help after finishing last season 27th in the NHL with an average of 2.63 goals per game and 18th with a .206 power-play efficiency.
Colorado did not re-sign Eller, who inked a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 1, 2023.
Other centers to appear during 2022-23 season after Eller was traded
- Henrik Borgstrom (one game)
2023-24 Season
Here is Washington’s forward lineup from Backstrom’s last NHL game on October 29, a 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks, before he decided to step away from the league due to a lingering hip injury:
Ovechkin — Strome — Wilson
Connor McMichael — Kuznetsov — Oshie
Anthony Mantha — Backstrom — Matthew Phillips
Beck Malenstyn — Hendrix Lapierre — Protas
Injured: Dowd
The forward lineup ultimately took shape through the following moves:
- October 9: McMichael makes NHL roster
The 23-year-old set career-highs in goals (18), assists (15), points (33), and games played (80) in his second NHL season. Washington re-signed McMichael, who was taken 25th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, to a two-year contract ($2.1 million cap hit) on July 1. He also notched a goal in the Capitals’ four-game postseason appearance last Spring.
- October 29: Lapierre recalled from AHL Hershey
With Dowd injured, Washington gave the 22nd overall pick from the 2020 NHL Draft a look. Lapierre would get sent back down to the AHL a few more times but would ultimately play in 51 of Washington’s final 74 regular-season games, where he posted eight goals and 22 points, and all four of their postseason outings (one goal, two points).
- November 1: Backstrom steps away
After appearing in his 1100th career game on October 18 at the Ottawa Senators and notching an assist in Washington’s first eight, the 36-year-old, who missed the team’s first 42 games of the 2022-23 season after undergoing a hip resurfacing procedure in June 2022, stepped away from the game to deal with his chronic hip pain.
- March 8: traded Kuznetsov (.5 retained) to Carolina Hurricanes for 2025 third-round pick
Just five days after the 31-year-old cleared waivers, Washington traded Kuznetsov, who had just returned from the NHLPA Players’ Assistance Program and was in the midst of the worst season of his NHL career (six goals, 17 points in 43 games with the Capitals), to Carolina.
Kuznetsov had requested a change of scenery at least twice before, had an underwhelming performance for the better part of the past five seasons, and his cap hit of $7.8 million was a salary cap killer. Kuznetsov also had moments that frustrated Washington, on the ice and off (including getting placed on COVD-19 protocol three times, suspended for substance abuse over the past five years). It was time for the Capitals to move on.
Kuznetsov and the Hurricanes terminated the final season of his contract so the 32-year-old could join the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg for the 2024-25 campaign.
The team also reportedly considered moving Dowd, who can become an unrestricted free agent on this upcoming July 1, at the NHL Trade Deadline but kept him after the Capitals did not get the value they wanted for Dowd, who was out at the time due to injury.
Here was the Capitals’ forward lineup for the final postseason game on April 28:
Ovechkin – Lapierre — Milano
Protas – Strome – Wilson
Max Pacioretty – McMichael – Oshie
Malenstyn – Dowd – Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Scratched: C Michael Sgarbossa, LW Ivan Miroshnichenko
Other centers to appear during 2023-24 season
2024-25 Season
- June 19: acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois from Los Angeles Kings for G Darcy Kuemper
With Washington needing a top-six center and wanting to keep their most coveted draft picks and prospects, especially with Ovechkin having just two years left on his contract, the team acquired Dubois, who signed an eight-year contract worth $8.5 million against the salary cap following a trade to the Los Angeles Kings in June 2023. They also dumped the final three seasons of Kuemper’s contract ($5.25 million).
The 26-year-old recorded just 16 goals, 40 points, and a .497 faceoff-winning percentage in 82 regular-season games and added a goal in five postseason games after being acquired from the Winnipeg Jets for Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and the 37th overall pick in June.
Dubois had scored at least 27 goals and 60 points, respectively, three times in his first six NHL seasons prior to landing in SoCal.
With Dubois in the mix, the Capitals have the option to play two of McMichael, Lapierre, Protas, and Dowd on the wing if they wish to this season.
Here is how the team’s forward group could look for opening night on October 12 vs. the New Jersey Devils:
Ovechkin – Strome — Mangiapane
McMichael – Dubois – Wilson
Protas – Lapierre – Sonny Milano
Taylor Raddysh – Dowd – Brandon Duhaime
Scratched: Miroshnichenko
While both of the Capitals’ long-time top-six centers and all of their top-nine pivots left within a 12-month span, they have done a commendable job building depth down the middle without giving up any significant assets. They have also provided themselves with enough flexibility to have two of their centers play on the wing. It’s a different group of centers, but they still possess a lot of upside, even with Backstrom and Kuznetsov gone.
How much better will the group be after the acquisition of Dubois? We’ll have to wait and find out.
By Harrison Brown
