Capitals’ Informal Skates Filling Up as Training Camp Draws Closer

The Washington Capitals are beginning to look a lot more like a hockey team again.

Several veterans, newcomers and prospects were on the ice Tuesday at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington as Washington’s informal preseason skates continued to grow ahead of training camp. Dylan Strome, Anthony Beauvillier, Ethen Frank, Timothy Liljegren and Dylan McIlrath were among the latest players to join the group.

They joined a sizable collection that included Pierre-Luc Dubois, Alex Tuch, Boone Jenner, Jonny Brodzinski, Vincent Desharnais, Martin Fehervary, Matt Roy and goaltender Logan Thompson. Prospects Petr Sikora, Eriks Mateiko, Lynden Lakovic and Terik Parascak also participated.

The skates remain informal, but there was plenty of structure. Capitals skills coach Kenny McCudden ran players through skill work before the group moved into four-on-four and three-on-three scrimmages and finished with skating drills.

For Washington, the increasing attendance is another indication that the 2026-27 season is rapidly approaching.

New-look Capitals beginning to come together

This will not be the same Capitals roster that missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season.

Washington went 43-30-9 and finished three points behind Philadelphia for the final Eastern Conference playoff position. After finishing first in the Eastern Conference with 111 points one year earlier, the setback prompted general manager Chris Patrick to make significant changes.

The Capitals added Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, Jenner and Desharnais during an aggressive offseason designed to put Washington back into Stanley Cup contention. Tuch and Kyrou are both three-time 30-goal scorers, while Jenner gives Washington another experienced two-way forward capable of playing multiple roles.

Tuch came to Washington from Buffalo after signing an eight-year, $84 million contract, while Jenner signed a four-year, $23 million deal. Desharnais signed for four years and $16.8 million.

The Capitals also received perhaps their biggest offseason development when Alex Ovechkin decided to return for his 22nd NHL season.

That gives coach Spencer Carbery a considerably deeper roster than the one that finished last season.

Strome looking for a bounce-back year

Seeing Strome back in Arlington is notable because Washington will again rely heavily on him in the middle.

The 29-year-old has developed into Ovechkin’s primary center during his time with the Capitals. After producing 82 points with 29 goals and 53 assists in 2024-25, Strome slipped to 58 points on 19 goals and 39 assists last season.

Washington does not necessarily need Strome to reproduce his career year, but getting him back closer to that offensive level would make an already dangerous Capitals forward group considerably deeper.

With Tuch, Kyrou and Jenner joining Ovechkin, Dubois, Tom Wilson, Aliaksei Protas and Ryan Leonard, Carbery suddenly has numerous possibilities throughout the lineup.

NHL.com projected a possible top six featuring Ovechkin with Strome and Kyrou, followed by a line containing Tuch, Dubois and Wilson. Those combinations remain speculative heading into camp, but they illustrate how many options Washington now possesses.

Competition throughout the roster

Tuesday’s skate also featured several players who could find themselves battling for roles.

Beauvillier recorded 28 points on 15 goals and 13 assists while appearing in all 82 games last season. Frank became a regular after beginning the year in Hershey and finished with 12 goals and 24 points in 62 NHL games.

Liljegren could have an especially important opportunity on defense.

The Capitals acquired him during the 2026 season, but he appeared in only four games with Washington before re-signing on a two-year contract. With Rasmus Sandin expected to miss the opening portion of the season following ACL surgery, Liljegren could receive a much bigger role.

Desharnais gives Washington another experienced option, while young defenseman Cole Hutson is expected to push for a permanent NHL role after an impressive late-season debut.

Prospects getting valuable work

The informal skates are also providing an opportunity for some of Washington’s top young players to work beside established NHL veterans.

Parascak finished his final WHL season with Prince George by recording 79 points, including 33 goals, in 61 games. He later joined the Hershey Bears and is expected to begin the upcoming season in the American Hockey League.

Sikora is another prospect worth following.

The 20-year-old captained Czechia to a silver medal at the 2026 World Junior Championship before signing his entry-level contract with Washington in May.

Lakovic and Mateiko also joined the NHL players Tuesday, giving Washington’s younger prospects valuable exposure to the pace and habits of the organization’s veterans before formal camp begins.

The real work is almost here

Washington opens its preseason schedule Sept. 20 against the Boston Bruins before beginning the regular season Oct. 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Until then, the informal skates will continue to provide a preview of what could become one of the more interesting Capitals training camps in recent memory.

There will be line combinations to establish, defensive pairings to settle, young players fighting for roster spots and several major offseason additions learning Washington’s system.

MSB Take

The biggest takeaway from Tuesday is not the drills or the line combinations. It is simply seeing this many important Capitals players already in Arlington.

Washington’s front office aggressively attacked the weaknesses of last year’s roster, and now the pieces are beginning to come together on the ice. Tuch and Jenner skating alongside Dubois, Strome and the rest of Washington’s established core matters because chemistry cannot be manufactured overnight.

The prospect group is intriguing as well. Parascak, Sikora, Mateiko and Lakovic being around NHL veterans this early gives them valuable experience even if most are ultimately headed back to junior hockey or Hershey.

There will be plenty of time to debate combinations once Carbery takes control of camp. For now, Capitals fans should be encouraged by the depth of the group already participating.

Last season ended without playoff hockey. This season begins with a considerably different expectation.

Washington did not spend the summer simply trying to get back into the postseason. The Capitals built this roster with the intention of competing for another Stanley Cup.

Now the players are back on the ice, and the process of turning an impressive offseason on paper into a winning hockey team has officially begun.