Washington's players are taking part in workouts before training camp kicks off in a couple of weeks.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals are starting to make their way back to MedStar Capitals Iceplex ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, and several key members of the group are already hitting the ice for informal skates ahead of training camp.
Alex Ovechkin most notably leads that group, as he returned this past weekend and took the ice for some work on Tuesday.
The informal skates usually consist of drills followed by a scrimmage and individual free work before the zamboni kicks the players off the ice.
In addition to Ovechkin, regulars Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, John Carlson, Dylan Strome, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nic Dowd, Nick Jensen, Joel Edmundson and Darcy Kuemper are also taking part in the workouts.
Several prospects have also joined the mix to get time in ahead of camp, including Alex Limoges, Joe Snively, Alexander Suzdalev, Andrew Cristall, Alex Alexeyev, Vincent Iorio, Lucas Johansen and Hardy Haman Aktell. Garrett Roe, a Hershey Bears signee and Little Caps alum, is also skating with the team.
Dowd is looking good after undergoing core surgery this offseason, and he is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season.
Backstrom, meanwhile, is coming up on the biggest training camp of his life as he looks to prove he's still an impactful full-time NHL center following hip resurfacing surgery last June. A full summer of training rather than rehabbing has appeared to work well for him, as he's looking strong on his skates, showing bursts of speed and showcasing his quick hands.
Both Dowd and Backstrom stuck together after scrimmaging to work on one-timers, with Backstrom passing to Dowd in "Ovi's Office" and vice versa.
Oshie, who had a double ablation at the end of the season to address ongoing back pain, was moving well and didn't appear to be ailing.
Haman Aktell, who was one of the top European free agents on the market, showed off his smooth skating ability and awareness at both ends as he works to show that he can be a full-time NHL player. Iorio and Johansen are also fringe defensemen looking to stick.
Here's a great play started with a strong zone entry from Johansen, who then got the puck to Snively for some great stickhandling before a slick Backstrom strike.
Meanwhile, Edmundson and Strome came together to prep for the dreaded skate test taking part in "suicides" up and down the ice, focusing on edges and stopping and starting.
Washington's rookie camp is Sept. 16-19 in Arlington and Annapolis, and there, Cristall, Iorio and more will get the chance to show what they're capable of. Training camp officially kicks off with the first on-ice session on Sept. 21.