Capitals Mailbag Pt. 2: Expectations & Storylines, Who Could Surprise At Camp, Hutson & Protas, Speed & Flexibility

The start of the Washington Capitals season is drawing closer, which means it's time to answer some burning questions ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

After Part 1 of our mailbag dropped Thursday, here's Part 2.

Editor's Note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.

It isn't a straightforward answer, because a lot of it will depend on who stands out at training camp and how that forces the coaching staff's hand.

That said, the forward group is very deep, and there are names like Ivan Miroshnichenko and Bogdan Trineyev that are no longer waiver-exempt that could make it difficult to have to hold onto only one forward.

At the same time, as the injury to Rasmus Sandin at season's end showed, having two extra defensemen is important, too.

Ultimately, given the circumstances up front, I lean toward the team holding onto two extra forwards to start the season, and then having one extra defenseman. It'll come down to performances whether Justin Holl or Dylan McIlrath wins that final spot, though McIlrath has earned his keep and has been a vital locker room presence over the last handful of seasons.

In goal, it'll be Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren as the tandem in net; as mentioned in the first part of the mailbag, there is faith that Lindgren, who was given a difficult task last year with the majority of his starts coming on the second half of back-to-backs, will bounce back, and the team values what he brings to the locker room and the work ethic he brings to the ice. He also complements starter Logan Thompson very well.

That leaves Clay Stevenson in a difficult spot when it comes to the possibility of being picked up on waivers, but the team brought in Cal Petersen to attend camp on a professional tryout to further bolster depth and have a backup plan if that happens.

Again, anything can happen at training camp, and both of these names are expected to have very big showings in the preseason to try and force extended stays in D.C.

Lakovic, who is recovered from shoulder surgery that ended his junior career early last season, has been at informal skates and ramping up going into the season, and is certainly a name to watch. The 19-year-old has added size to his 6-foot-4 frame and has improved his skating significantly, and his shot and hockey IQ also continue to come a long way.

All the while, Cristall has also been working on his strength and skating in the offseason and embracing more of what he calls a "rat" identity. he is coming off a 60-point rookie season in the AHL with the Hershey Bears and has shown that he can hang in the pros and be a game-changer, and he is known for having impressive showings at training camp.

Ultimately, given the depth of the forward group and waiver situations, and the fact that both Lakovic and Cristall are exempt, I expect both to start the year in Hershey.

Lakovic is working his way back into game action full-time and will be making the transition to pro hockey, and it'll be better for his development if he's getting pivotal minutes and experience with Hershey rather than being thrust onto the NHL scene in a limited role. As for Cristall, he can build off a very strong first year in the pros and show that he can carry the bulk of the scoring with Ilya Protas making the full-time jump to the NHL, and he'll also benefit from more of a leadership role and added responsibility.

Still, you can't count anyone out, and players make the roster based on whether or not they earn the spot; it's not all just business.

Washington went all-out this offseason with some big-name adds, and predominantly added size to the mix, making D.C. the tallest and heaviest team on average going into the new campaign.

"We're going to be scary," new addition and 6-foot-7 defenseman Vincent Desharnais quipped.

With Alex Tuch and more, the Capitals will be able to take up more space and make life more difficult for their opponents, but it doesn't mean they won't be able to handle speed.

Jordan Kyrou is one of the fastest in the NHL, and Ryan Leonard's max skating speed last season also ranked in the 99th percentile. A lot of the team's up-and-comers have plenty of speed, and it should balance out a bit more.

That, and the fact that D.C. will quite literally take up a lot of space on the ice, should mean that the roster is well-equipped to handle the likes of faster teams. Having more forward depth also means more equal minutes and an ability to roll all four lines, which should also keep legs fresh.

This wasn't necessarily phrased as a question, but the new additions do actually allow for quite a bit of flexibility, especially up front.

While there aren't a lot of vacancies and open spots up front, Spencer Carbery has different players that can move up and down the lineup, including Boone Jenner, who can play center and wing, and Alex Tuch, a utility player who plays multiple roles.

And, as brought up in the last answer, can evenly roll all four lines and finally establish balance. That flexibility is something that the District has been looking for for a long time.

I really think the additions of Vincent Desharnais and Boone Jenner are going to be two that stand out.

Desharnais is a defensive-minded player who knows his role and sticks up for his teammates, and I believe he'll be key in protecting Cole Hutson and allowing him to focus on the offensive side of his game.

Meanwhile, Jenner can play center or wing and on the top-6 or bottom-6, still has plenty to show, can score goals and play on special teams. He's a hard worker and someone who sets the example for his teammates, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win.

Both are also just key adds to the locker room culture, and I believe they'll really be important even though they're not necessarily the biggest adds from this offseason.

I think that Cole Hutson will be at least a 60-point defenseman this season and will certainly get more power-play time under new coach Ray Bennett.

He and Jakob Chychrun prove a nice 1-2 punch, and now that he has some NHL experience under his belt, he can embrace a bigger role full-time this year and really be a top-4 contributor, especially with Rasmus Sandin on long-term injured reserv eto start.

Yes, Ilya Protas is a center — I think the Boone Jenner signing has confused some mock lineups out there, which is why he's been put on the wing in some places. However, management and the coaching staff like him at center, and that's where he's expected to start.

That said, I see him taking on a third-line role; he complements his brother, Aliaksei, well, and would be a 1-2 punch with Ryan Leonard, too, on a potential combination. With all four lines balanced, that doesn't mean that a third or fourth line role is a demotion.

Ultimately, I see Justin Sourdif starting as a solid fourth-line center given his strong defensive play, and Boone Jenner will likely start on the wing alongside him.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how Dylan Strome bounces back this season with Jordan Kyrou joining the mix as a potential complementary winger; he acknowledged this past year wasn't exactly what he wanted, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he responds.

I also predict that Charlie Lindgren will rebound too as he plays second chair to Logan Thompson; he's been putting in the work and the Capitals again have a heavy back-to-back slate this season.

Then, of course, there's seeing what a fully healthy Pierre-Luc Dubois can do, how Cole Hutson and Ryan Leonard continue to grow, seeing the Protas brothers in action full-time together, Jakob Chychrun taking over as the true No. 1 full-time and, of course, Alex Ovechkin back for more and on the verge of history once again.

A lot to be excited for in D.C.