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.
McMichael put up a career-high 26 goals and 31 assists for 57 points in 82 games while taking on bigger minutes, and with Lars Eller departing this summer for the Ottawa Senators, that third-line center role is now McMichael's to lose.
“I thought I took a pretty big jump… really solidified myself as a good player in this league, Just fine-tuning all the things I did work on to bring to my spot, but also looking to find areas to improve and always wanting to get better to elevate my game,” McMichael said of his season, adding, "I want to be a center for sure. I think that's where I'm most comfortable."
Putting McMichael at center would bring some stability to that position, which had been a bit of a question mark over the course of the 2024-25 campaign. It also gives rising winger Ryan Leonard, who's projected to start on the third line, a center that more closely matches his speed and playing style, and adding Andrew Cristall or Ivan Miroshnichenko on the opposite side would give that line more speed overall. Sonny Milano is also an option.
What To Expect From Sonny Milano & Roster Competition Come Training Camp
The Washington Capitals have some questions to answer going into training camp, and one of them is what to do with Sonny Milano.
McMichael will still have to win that role, though, with Hendrix Lapierre looking to make the full-time jump to the NHL and prove his worth. That said, his credentials and play speak for themselves, as he took great care of the puck and was one of the team's top 5-on-5 centes.
Ultimately, putting McMichael in that role is a major opportunity for him, but the team as well as it prepares for the post-Alex Ovechkin era.