The Washington Capitals are eager to show that they're still a top contender in the East, as they'll be back with several of the same pieces while injecting some youth into the lineup this coming season. One area due for a tune-up, though, is the power play.
Washington's man advantage has experienced its share of ups and downs over the last couple of years, and going into this year, will be an area of emphasis with the Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson eras starting to wind down and special teams being a fundamental part of the group's success.
Of course, having Jakob Chychrun locked up long-term gives the Capitals power play a much-needed boost, as he could interchange with Carlson between the first and second units. Alex Ovechkin is also still effective on the point. Though his role is expected to change at 5-on-5 this season, the soon-to-be 40-year-old will likely still be heavily utilized on the power play.
That leaves the forwards as a question, more so on that second unit beyond Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson and Pierre-Luc Dubois, who round out PP1.
Connor McMichael, without a doubt, gets that center role on PP2, but beyond that, Washington will shift its focus to other forwards with Andrew Mangiapane having departed this summer.
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Connor McMichael really took his game to a new level this past season, putting up career numbers while thriving with top-six minutes and more responsibility. And going into this year, he's expected to get an even bigger role.
Aliaksei Protas, who put up 66 points last season, should certainly get more time on the man advantage, as he's able to move the puck well while using his size to his advantage and winning puck battles. Beyond Protas, there's also Anthony Beauvillier, who re-signed this summer, and rising names like Ryan Leonard and Andrew Cristall — who's a strong candidate to make the opening night roster — who want time at 5-on-4. Ivan Miroshnichenko also has high hopes to make the roster.
That said, more seasoned players will likely get that first look, and expect Rasmus Sandin to round out that second unit with Chychrun when Ovechkin goes to change.
Here are the projected PP combinations:
PP1: Ovechkin, Carlson, WIlson, Strome, Dubois
PP2: Sandin/Ovechkin, Chychrun, Protas, McMichael, Beauvillier/Leonard/Cristall