As the Washington Capitals get closer to the start of training camp and players start to make their way back to D.C., the team will start to ponder how their revamped roster will look and what it'll mean for the 2026-27 campaign.
That said, we're reopening our Capitals mailbag to answer some of the burning questions going into the season.
Editor's Note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.
How does the competition look among the forwards fighting for a spot on the fourth line? - @Below_avgcaps
Following the additions of Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner this summer, along with the likely promotion of Ilya Protas to the mix, there aren't many vacancies up front.
It's a good problem to have as the team sees more balance on all four lines, but at the same time, it means less opportunity for some, and heavy competition coming in camp.
Looking at the fourth line in particular, there appears to be a battle for the final right wing spot, and then the role of the extra forwards.
Not only will regulars Anthony Beauvillier and Ethen Frank have to compete for their spots in the lineup, but prospects like Ivan Miroshnichenko and Bogdan Trineyev, who are no longer waiver exempt, are looking to make full-time jumps to the NHL. Meanwhile, new signees like Jonny Brodzinski and Josh Dunne will also want to compete for spots, and the team's up-and-comers in Andrew Cristall and Lynden Lakovic want to make noise at camp and also force the coaching staff's hand.
Anything can happen at camp, as we've seen over the years with certain players standing out in the preseason to earn an extended look. Now, with less spots to go around, management fully expects difficult decisions to lay ahead — and it'll certainly come down to the wire.
What does that mean for Anthony Beauvillier's role? - @WeisfeldSt46524
While it'll be fierce competition, Anthony Beauvillier still projects to be on29 the Capitals' opening night roster and play a flexible role for D.C.
The 29-year-old is coming off a 15-goal season and is a player that can move up and down the lineup, and he also plays on special teams, including the penalty kill. Having that kind of utility forward in the mix is vital, especially should injuries arise over the course of the year.
How do you grade the Capitals' offseason? - @MrEd315
Washington far and away had one of the most impressive offseasons, revamping the forward group and bringing in some bigger names to address some concerns, including a lack of secondary scoring and more defensive depth on the right side. All the while, the team added a couple of older players to help further guide their rising young core.
Now, the team has plenty of depth up front, more size and more firepower, and a good mix of youth and veterans. Alex Ovechkin is also back to make more history and continue to play a big role, while not having to carry the burden of offense himself.
It's an easy A for D.C., and it'll certainly pay off as the team looks to go from missing out on the playoffs to being a legitimate contender going into a new era.
What will the Capitals' forward lines look like, and will the team go with two extra forwards or two extra defensemen? - @ZachHicks2
Spencer Carbery, who's been taking in some of these informal skates, has been brainstorming how his lines will look and coming up with quite a few combinations, though he hasn't committed to anything yet because ultimately, training camp will be the time to see who gels where.
Still, there is a way that things could go, and as mentioned earlier, the Capitals have an opportunity to have a more balanced lineup where all four lines can be properly utilized, meaning minutes going down and fresher legs.
Camp will decide who goes where, but if I had to try to make an opening night roster, here's how I think the lineup could shape up to start based on how the team envisions its center corps, Ovechkin's return and role and other factors.
Note that the order of lines don't indicate the exact order, just a way things could look on paper.
Alex Ovechkin-Dylan Strome-Jordan Kyrou
Alex Tuch-Pierre-Luc Dubois-Tom Wilson
Aliaksei Protas-Ilya Protas-Ryan Leonard
Boone Jenner-Justin Sourdif-Anthony Beauvillier
Extra options: Ethen Frank, Ivan Miroshnichenko
How do the Capitals handle the possibility of losing Clay Stevenson to waivers? - @Johnsiarkas
It's no secret that questions surround Clay Stevenson going into camp. The 27-year-old packs promise and is coming off a strong 2025-26 campaign, where he had a .921 save percentage in four games up with D.C. and had a .912 SV% in Hershey.
That said, he does appear to be the odd-man out come training camp. Charlie Lindgren is determined to bounce back after a rough season and the team has a lot of respect for the role he played last year, where the majority of his starts were on the second half of back-to-backs, and the culture he's established in the locker room. All the while, he's meant a lot to starter Logan Thompson as a trusted goalie partner.
As is the case with all roster cuts, that leaves open the possibility that a team will pick him up off waivers, which is just part of the business, and last season, there were rumors that a lot of teams had eyes on him, but he ultimately ended up clearing.
That could very well happen again, or, he could end up being claimed if a team wants to add to its depth. There is a plan in place, though, if that happens. Washington has Cal Peterson coming to camp on a professional tryout as a backup plan, and ultimately, has some more promising goaltenders in the pipeline, including Mitchell Gibson, Garin Bjorklund and Antoine Keller.
Ultimately, I don't think the team tries to trade him just to get something else in return. Instead, D.C. will just have to wait and see where things go, though Stevenson does mean a lot to the organization.
Again, anything can happen at camp, though.
