NHL's Top Issues Facing Washington Capitals: Ovechkin, Dubois and Chychrun Feeling The Heat

THN's series looking at key issues facing each NHL team shifts to look at the Washington Capitals. Can Ovechkin break the NHL's goal-scoring record? Can Pierre-Luc Dubois and Jakob Chychrun have big seasons? Adam Proteau discusses these questions.

Welcome to the penultimate file in THN’s series examining crucial issues facing every NHL team. 

In today’s edition, we’re breaking down three issues facing the Washington Capitals.

1. Does star winger Alex Ovechkin break the NHL’s goal-scoring record this year?

For a while last season, Ovechkin looked like his competitive goose was cooked, but a strong showing in the second half of the year put his career regular-season goal total at 853 – 41 goals behind Wayne Gretzky for the all-time goal-scoring record. Considering Ovechkin’s goal total dropped by 11 last season, that could mean he doesn’t break the record this season, and we’re inclined to agree that he comes close to the record, but doesn’t break it this year.

Ovechkin turns 39 years old a few days from now, and since his current contract lasts only for two more seasons, we’re going to predict he will return in 2025-26 and break Gretzky’s record at that time. The Capitals have improved their forward group this season with the addition of star center Pierre-Luc Dubois and winger Andrew Mangiapane, but we’re still not completely sold on this roster, and Ovechkin can no longer carry this squad on his back.

Of course, Ovechkin has already established himself as one of the very best goal-producers of all time, but you have to take into account he’s going to be the focal point of Washington’s opponents as they map out their defense blueprint. No team will want to be the team that Ovechkin breaks Gretzky’s record against, so it’s going to be a major struggle for him to get enough momentum to score 40-plus goals this coming season. It’s probably going to happen eventually, but Ovechkin and Caps fans may need to be more patient to make history.

2. Can new Capitals forward Pierre-Luc Dubois rebound in Washington?

Dubois has been heralded as a difference-maker since he was drafted third overall in 2016, but he’s now on his fourth NHL team in nine seasons – and that is a significant red flag. The 26-year-old has reached the 20-goal mark four times in his career, including a 28-goal output with the Winnipeg Jets in 2021-22, but his $8.5-million per-season salary – which runs through the summer of 2031 – dictates that his individual numbers should be better than that.

Since the trade to Washington was consummated, Dubois has been happy for a fresh start. But make no mistake, he’s immediately going to be under pressure in D.C., and if he doesn’t post 30 goals and 65-70 points, Dubois is going to be heavily criticized.

The Caps need to make the playoffs this season as the Ovechkin Era nears a close, and Dubois has to be a leader for this franchise. If he can’t rebound, his contract will make him a negative asset that won’t be traded nearly so easily this time around. We’re not here to tell you he can’t rebound, but it will take a massive effort for him to be regarded as an elite center and a key core component for a Cup front-running team. Washington GM Brian MacLellan has taken a huge gamble by acquiring Dubois, and now the onus is on Dubois to demonstrate he’s capable of capitalizing (no pun intended) on the opportunity now in front of him.

3. Can new defenseman Jakob Chychrun be a better fit on Washington’s blueline?

It wasn’t all that long ago that Chychrun was considered a can’t-miss, upper-tier defenseman who a team could build around. But after spending six-and-a-half seasons in Arizona, and the past one-and-a-half seasons in Ottawa, Chychrun’s stock dropped to the point he was dealt to Washington for a third-round pick and veteran Nick Jensen.

In Washington, Chychrun will almost certainly start the season on the top pairing with star blueliner John Carlson, and if Chychrun can provide somewhere in the area of the 14 goals and 41 points (tying his all-time career high in points) that he posted this past season, the Caps will be very pleased they traded for him.

Chychrun has the added motivation of entering a contract season, and the 26-year-old can assure himself of a raise on his current salary of $4.6-million per season by showing the Capitals he’s exactly what they need in the long term. But if Chychrun can’t improve on his current numbers, he should expect his cap hit to freeze, and possibly, he could join another NHL team on the open market. It’s a big year for the Caps and it’s a big year for Chychrun, and while MacLellan is projecting Chychrun to be a difference-maker, Chychrun has to go out and prove he deserves to be retained.