Capitals announce 2026 training camp roster as competition begins for revamped Washington lineup

By Brian Hradsky | Maryland Sports Blog

The Washington Capitals are officially ready to get back to work.

Washington has unveiled its roster for 2026 training camp, which begins Thursday, Sept. 17 at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia. The camp brings together an interesting mix of established NHL veterans, major offseason additions, young players already pushing for larger roles and prospects attempting to make an impression on the Capitals’ coaching staff. The first on-ice session coincides with Capitals Media Day and begins a short preseason runway toward Washington’s Oct. 2 regular-season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes.

There will be plenty to evaluate. Washington missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season after finishing with 93 points, creating significant pressure for the organization to return to postseason contention. General manager Chris Patrick has responded with a roster that looks considerably different, while head coach Spencer Carbery will have several legitimate lineup decisions to make before opening night.

Perhaps most importantly, this is no longer simply a team built around Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin remains the face of the franchise, but Ryan Leonard, Jordan Kyrou, Boone Jenner, Cole Hutson and several other younger or newly acquired players give Washington a fascinating combination of established talent and potential.

Ovechkin returns for season No. 22

All eyes will inevitably begin with Ovechkin.

The Capitals captain returned to the Washington area ahead of camp and was back at MedStar Capitals Iceplex last week. Ovechkin turns 41 on the same day Washington opens camp and is preparing for his 22nd NHL season after signing a one-year extension during the offseason. He played all 82 games last season and led Washington with 32 goals and 64 points.

That makes this another significant season in one of the greatest careers in NHL history. Ovechkin remains an important offensive weapon, but Washington should no longer need him to carry as much of the scoring burden if the organization’s offseason additions perform as expected.

Dylan Strome, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Aliaksei Protas and Tom Wilson remain among Washington’s established forwards. Anthony Beauvillier, Ethen Frank and Justin Sourdif are also back in camp, providing Carbery with several familiar options as he begins experimenting with combinations.

Last season Washington used Ovechkin with Strome and Beauvillier at different points, while Dubois and Protas were among the forwards occupying important top-six positions. Training camp will give Carbery an opportunity to determine whether those combinations still make sense after the offseason roster changes.

There should be considerably more competition this time.

Ryan Leonard enters camp with a massive new contract

One of the biggest stories surrounding camp arrived Monday when Washington signed Leonard to an eight-year, $84 million contract extension.

Leonard, the eighth overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft, is now under contract through the 2034-35 season. The deal carries an average annual value of $10.5 million and makes Washington’s intentions unmistakable: Leonard is expected to become one of the foundational players of the post-Ovechkin Capitals.

The timing is particularly interesting. A year ago Leonard was preparing for his first NHL training camp after making the transition from prospect to professional. Now the 21-year-old arrives as one of the players Washington has made a massive long-term financial commitment to.

That changes the expectations.

Leonard is not entering camp merely trying to prove he belongs in the NHL. Washington needs to determine how high in the lineup he can play, what combination best complements his game and whether he is ready to take another major offensive step.

A productive Leonard could dramatically change the construction of Washington’s top nine. Instead of relying almost exclusively on the veteran core for offense, the Capitals could have a legitimate young impact forward developing alongside them.

Jordan Kyrou adds another major offensive weapon

Kyrou may be one of the most interesting players to watch throughout camp.

He is listed among Washington’s forwards after joining the organization during an aggressive offseason. Kyrou arrived in the Washington area ahead of camp and has already participated in informal work with his new teammates.

His speed and offensive skill give Carbery another player capable of creating offense rather than simply finishing opportunities created by others. That should open several possibilities when Washington begins assembling its top two lines.

A potential combination involving Kyrou, Strome, Leonard, Dubois or Ovechkin would give Washington considerably more flexibility than it possessed a year ago.

Carbery does not have to settle those combinations immediately. That is precisely what camp and the preseason are designed to determine.

Boone Jenner brings leadership and versatility

Jenner represents a very different addition.

Washington did not bring the veteran forward aboard simply to score goals. His leadership, physical style and ability to play in different situations could become extremely valuable for a Capitals roster that is simultaneously trying to win now and transition toward a younger core.

Jenner has said that part of what attracted him to Washington was the opportunity to help the Capitals’ emerging young players develop.

That could prove especially important.

Washington has Leonard, Hutson and several other prospects either already reaching the NHL or approaching it. Having veterans such as Ovechkin, Wilson and Jenner around those players gives the organization experienced voices without preventing the younger group from assuming increasingly important roles.

Jenner also gives Carbery another option down the middle or on the wing.

That versatility could become particularly useful when Washington begins trimming its roster.

A fascinating battle among the young forwards

The established NHL forwards will receive most of the attention, but Washington’s prospect group may produce some of the most entertaining competition.

Andrew Cristall, Ilya Protas, Terik Parascak, Lynden Lakovic, Eriks Mateiko, Petr Sikora, Alex Suzdalev, Maxim Schafer and others are included on the camp roster.

Several are coming directly from Washington’s rookie camp in Annapolis.

The Capitals held rookie camp from Sept. 13-15 at McMullen Hockey Arena with 21 players participating, including 17 Washington draft picks. Cristall, Hutson, Ilya Protas, Lakovic and Parascak were among the headline prospects invited.

The timing gives those players an interesting opportunity. Instead of arriving cold at main camp, they have already been skating, working with coaches and competing against other prospects.

Cristall remains one of the more intriguing offensive prospects in the organization. His creativity and offensive instincts have consistently made him stand out among Washington’s younger players.

Ilya Protas is another player worth monitoring. His size immediately stands out, and the possibility of eventually joining his brother Aliaksei in Washington makes his development particularly interesting.

Lakovic, Washington’s 2025 first-round pick, is another major name. At 6-foot-4, he gives the organization the combination of size and offensive upside NHL teams covet.

Parascak also deserves attention after being selected in the first round in 2024.

Not every prospect needs to make the Capitals immediately for camp to be successful. Washington will also be evaluating which players are ready for larger responsibilities elsewhere in the organization and who could become NHL call-up options later in the season.

Cole Hutson may be the prospect everyone watches

Among Washington’s young defensemen, Hutson will command significant attention.

The 2024 second-round selection was one of the featured players at rookie camp before moving into the main training camp group. Washington’s official rookie-camp announcement specifically highlighted Hutson among the organization’s top young players.

His offensive ability from the blue line gives Washington something potentially special.

The challenge will be determining whether Hutson is ready to handle the defensive responsibilities required at the NHL level consistently. Training camp should provide the Capitals with an opportunity to test him against bigger, faster and more experienced competition.

Even if Hutson does not immediately lock down a permanent NHL role, he is clearly one of the most important players in Washington’s long-term plans.

Sandin’s injury creates a major defensive question

Washington’s blue line enters camp with some uncertainty because Rasmus Sandin remains injured.

Sandin tore the ACL in his right knee and underwent surgery in April. The initial estimated recovery period was six to nine months, making his status one of the most important situations to monitor as the season approaches.

His absence could create opportunities.

Jakob Chychrun and Matt Roy are established pieces of the Capitals’ defense, while Martin Fehervary also returns. Vincent Desharnais, Justin Holl and Timothy Liljegren give Washington experienced alternatives.

Then there are the younger defensemen.

Hutson, Ryan Chesley, Cam Allen, Jeremy Biakabutuka, Louie Belpedio, David Gucciardi, Dylan McIlrath and Jon McDonald are among those listed for camp.

The competition becomes particularly important if Sandin cannot begin the season.

Carbery will need defenders capable of moving the puck while maintaining the structure Washington wants in its own end. An impressive camp from one of the younger players could force the Capitals into a difficult decision.

That would be a good problem to have.

Goaltending should feature another battle

Washington is bringing a large group of goaltenders to camp.

Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren are the established NHL names, while Mitchell Gibson, Clay Stevenson, Garin Bjorklund, Ben Kraws and Cal Petersen are also listed on the camp roster.

The NHL tandem appears relatively straightforward with Thompson and Lindgren, but the competition behind them matters.

Goaltending depth can disappear quickly during an NHL season. Injuries, schedule congestion and performance issues inevitably force organizations deeper into their depth charts.

That makes the performances of Gibson, Stevenson, Bjorklund, Kraws and Petersen important even if none begins the year in Washington.

The Capitals need to establish their organizational hierarchy before the season begins.

Hershey will again play a major role

One of the underlying stories throughout Capitals camp will involve the Hershey Bears.

Players who do not make Washington are not simply disappearing from the organization’s plans. Many will continue developing in Hershey, giving the Capitals an important pool of potential NHL replacements throughout the season.

That makes players such as Cristall, Mateiko, Suzdalev, Chesley and others particularly interesting.

Some may eventually force their way onto Washington’s roster. Others could become the first players Patrick calls when injuries strike.

The relationship between Washington and Hershey remains one of the organization’s greatest developmental advantages. The Capitals can allow prospects to play significant professional minutes rather than keeping them in limited NHL roles simply because they had strong camps.

Four preseason games will make decisions come quickly

Washington will not have much time to experiment.

The Capitals open their preseason Sunday, Sept. 20 against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. One night later, Washington plays the Philadelphia Flyers at Giant Center in Hershey.

Washington’s only preseason game at Capital One Arena comes Sept. 25 against Boston.

The Capitals then conclude the preseason Sept. 26 on the road against Philadelphia before opening the regular season Oct. 2 at Carolina. Washington’s home opener follows Oct. 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

That gives Carbery only four exhibition games to evaluate a large camp roster.

Expect Washington to use those games strategically.

Veterans do not need every exhibition game. Younger players fighting for jobs do.

The compressed schedule should create opportunities for prospects to receive substantial minutes early in the preseason before the roster begins shrinking.

Capitals training camp roster

Washington’s roster graphic lists the following players entering camp:

Forwards: Anthony Beauvillier, Jonny Brodzinski, Andrew Cristall, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Josh Dunne, Ethen Frank, Boone Jenner, Tyler Kopff, Jordan Kyrou, Lynden Lakovic, Ryan Leonard, Eriks Mateiko, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Theodor Niederbach, Alex Ovechkin, Terik Parascak, Ludwig Persson, Aliaksei Protas, Ilya Protas, Maxim Schafer, Petr Sikora, Spencer Smallman, Justin Sourdif, Dylan Strome, Alex Suzdalev, Patrick Thomas, Bogdan Trineyev, Alex Tuch and Tom Wilson.

Defensemen: Cam Allen, Louie Belpedio, Jeremy Biakabutuka, Ryan Chesley, Jakob Chychrun, Vincent Desharnais, Martin Fehervary, David Gucciardi, Justin Holl, Cole Hutson, Timothy Liljegren, Jacob MacDonald, Jon McDonald, Dylan McIlrath, Leon Muggli, Matt Roy and Rasmus Sandin, who is marked injured on the roster.

Goaltenders: Garin Bjorklund, Mitchell Gibson, Ben Kraws, Charlie Lindgren, Cal Petersen, Clay Stevenson and Logan Thompson.

It is a roster with considerably more than just NHL depth.

There are genuine prospects here. There are legitimate roster battles. There are new veterans who could dramatically alter Washington’s lineup.

And there is a Capitals team facing considerable pressure to get back into the postseason.

What MSB will be watching

The most important question is how Carbery assembles his top nine.

Ovechkin, Strome, Dubois, Wilson, Protas, Leonard, Kyrou and Jenner give Washington numerous possibilities. Add Beauvillier, Sourdif and other forwards into the discussion and there are more NHL-caliber options than available top-nine positions.

Leonard’s role should be particularly revealing.

Washington did not hand a 21-year-old an eight-year, $84 million extension to make him a peripheral player. This camp should begin showing how aggressively the Capitals intend to build around him.

The defense is the second major storyline. Sandin’s knee injury creates uncertainty, and Hutson has an opportunity to make himself difficult to send down. If one or two young defensemen make legitimate pushes, Washington suddenly has much more flexibility.

Finally, watch the prospects who survive the first major round of cuts. Making it through the early stages of camp does not guarantee an NHL roster spot, but it can reveal which players the organization believes are closest.

MSB Take

This could be one of the most important Capitals training camps in years because Washington is no longer trying to squeeze one more season out of essentially the same veteran group. The roster is changing, and the transition toward Washington’s next generation is clearly underway.

Ovechkin remains the captain and the centerpiece of the franchise, but Leonard’s massive extension says just as much about where this organization is headed. Add Kyrou, Jenner, Hutson, Cristall, Protas, Lakovic and the rest of Washington’s prospect pipeline, and there is legitimate reason to be excited about the Capitals beyond Ovechkin’s final NHL seasons.

The Capitals also cannot treat 2026-27 simply as a development season. Missing the playoffs last year was disappointing, and Washington has enough veteran talent to expect postseason hockey. Training camp needs to establish which young players can help the Capitals accomplish that immediately.

There are going to be difficult cuts. That is exactly what Washington should want.

A competitive training camp means the Capitals have depth. It means Hershey should remain strong. Most importantly, it means Carbery should have options when he builds his opening-night roster.

Capitals hockey is back Thursday, and this camp could provide our first real look at what the next era of Washington hockey is going to look like.