Daily Washington Capitals news and notes: offseason evaluations, 2021-2022 schedule updates and more.
Your savory breakfast links:
- Mark your calendars: the NHL released game times for the 2021-2022 season this weekend, including all 82 games for the Washington Capitals. [NoVa Caps]
- Speaking of next season’s games, it looks like TNT will broadcast Washington’s season opener against the New York Rangers. [NoVa Caps]
- Forward Shane Gersich has been working hard in Hershey, and he’s ready to make the push for a roster spot in DC. [WHN]
- NoVa Caps takes a look at the 2021 offseason for the Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions to determine which teams improved and which ones, well, didn’t.
- Catch up on WHN’s latest mailbag, which includes thoughts on salary cap restraints, Vitek Vanecek, and Big Zee. [WHN]
- Now that the NHL is several weeks into free agency, Washington’s 2021-2022 depth chart is coming more into focus. [Athletic ($)]
- The Caps need to ensure their strong penalty killing from last season rolls over while also looking for ways to improve it. [S+S]
- The 2022 Winter Olympics offer Nicklas Backstrom a chance for redemption with Tre Kronor. [NoVa Caps, RMNB]
- Backy, who has been a Caps’ alternate captain since 2010, is also a potential candidate to wear the ‘C’ for the Swedish olympic team in Beijing. [RMNB]
- With a fresh five-year contract with the Capitals, Alex Ovechkin has a clearer path to Wayne Gretzky’s record. [S+S]
- In other Ovi news, the third annual “Ovechkin Cup” youth hockey tournament in Moscow wrapped up this weekend, and the Great 8 was there to participate in the fun. [NoVa Caps]