17 Things: Decisions Loom For Capitals In Critical Next 2 Weeks, Injuries Mount With Oshie Week-To-Week, Call-Ups & Prospects

The Capitals are entering two of the biggest weeks of the 2023-24 campaign.

WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals are entering the two most important weeks of their season, as the playoffs remain far but not impossible to reach with the trade deadline less than two weeks away and D.C. six points out.

All the while, the Capitals' play has taken a 180, as the team busted out of a lengthy losing skid and is starting to put the pieces together for key points at a key time. Still, those wins and points have come at a cost, as the team has lost key players to injury in four straight outings.

That said, here are 17 thoughts on Washington going into a vital stretch.

1. The Capitals are no strangers to man games lost or dealing with injuries, but the last four games have been an abnormality with key players hurting amid a four-game point streak.

Martin Fehervary went down last Saturday with a week-to-week injury, Nic Dowd suffered a day-to-day upper-body injury on Tuesday, T.J. Oshie is still being evaluated after a scary non-contact injury on Thursday and Anthony Mantha did not finish this Saturday's game against Florida due to an ailment.

It's a good opportunity for the youth and call-ups to get some time in the lineup, but at a time like this, where playoffs are still technically within reach and the trade deadline offering some key assets, seeing these names go down is never a good sign.

2. The biggest concern, of course, is for Oshie, who is week-to-week with an upper-body injury he suffered on Thursday. The 37-year-old was turning with the puck and went down in visible pain. He had to crawl to the bench and be helped to sit up and then slid down the bench before Darcy Kuemper helped lift him up and trainers carried him to the locker room.

He is four games away from his 1,000th NHL game, but most importantly, he's the glue and one of the most important voices for Washington. Losing him again to an injury would be a major blow, and more are expected to come out in the coming days as the team returns to the District.

With Oshie going down and Mantha also a game-time decision, the team also recalled Ivan Miroshnichenko from the Bears to add depth.

3. It's unclear what happened to Mantha, but to have him and Dowd go down with injuries before the deadline is unfortunate, as both are names that have been going around the rumor mill and could get big returns if D.C. elects to sell.

4. Is there a need to sell? It's an interesting question. Washington is just six points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for third in the Metropolitan Division, and things are still very much within reach. Still, if the price is right, general manager Brian MacLellan could hear some things out in order to build for the future.

There's still a lot to wait and see about, though. If the Capitals are competing, there's no reason to sell, but if high draft picks or promising prospects are part of some of these proposed packages, it could be worth the gamble.

5. Five Capitals' names have come up in talks: in addition to Dowd and Mantha, Joel Edmundson is also receiving league-wide interest, per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, and Max Pacioretty could also be on the move and willing to waive his no-movement clause if he could go to a serious contender.

Pacioretty told me, though, that he's not thinking about the trade deadline and that he likes the current group. He has 11 points in 21 games since returning from a re-torn Achilles and has given the offense a new look, too.

6. Going back to Dowd: I think the Capitals only move him if he brings in a first-round pick or a very lucrative prospect. I don't think they sell just to sell.

Dowd is a huge piece for Washington: he's a top defensive center, he leads the way in defensive zone face-offs, he powers one of the league's top fourth lines, he kills penalties, he helps generate offense and he's coachable and versatile. The team also loves him, the young guys look up to him (Beck Malesntyn told me how instrumental Dowd has been in his growth as a rookie) and his voice carries.

He has one year left on his deal at $1.3 million and brings a consistent effort night after night. The price has to be perfect in order for the Capitals to let a player like that go, especially with playoffs still in reach.

7. Speaking of playoffs, hope in the room is high, the buy-in is there and everyone's on board. Talking to the players, there's still a belief that this team can compete and keep up with anyone in the league. Rasmus Sandin also said that he's noticed a clear trend in the right direction with Washington starting to put the pieces together and find its identity under Carbery.

Sandin himself has been instrumental in the team's turnaround. After struggling to find his offensive touch and overall game to open the season, he's gotten into a rhythm, is chipping in offensively and is becoming one of the go-to options on the blue line.

8. Of course, another big reason for D.C.'s resurgence is captain Alex Ovechkin. The 38-year-old has points in 10 of his last 11 outings and has eight goals in his last 10 games after managing eight through the first 45 games of the 2023-24 campaign. He's back on pace for a 20-goal season, just played his 1,400th NHL game and his play has taken a noticeable step forward.

He's no longer stationary but is moving more, getting to the high-danger areas, playing smart in the defensive zone, helping with the breakout and making the right choices as to when to pass and shoot.

It's been great for the Capitals, and that kind of leadership from your captain is contagious. 

9. Two more players who have taken after Ovechkin and stepped up at a crucial point amid mounting injuries: Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas. McMichael has five goals in his last five games, and Protas has points in three of his last four. Both went through a bit of a dry spell mid-year, but they're starting to get their scoring touch back, and it's a huge help as Washington looks to keep its offense trending upward.

10. Both McMichael and Protas are also being trusted with more responsibility amid the mounting injuries, as Protas has been placed in his natural center position with the team electing to recall Pierrick Dubé to help fill the void at wing. Hendrix Lapierre is also now up with the big club amid Oshie's injury, but Protas is getting that trust at center and making the most of it.

11. Dubé's NHL debut on Saturday wasn't exactly all he'd hoped; while he hit the post on a breakaway and got to show off his speed and shot, he skated just 4:33 minutes and got six shifts. As to why he got such little time: it's a matter of game flow, as Carbery explained. It was a tight game, and as a result, the bigger names got more of the ice time.

Still, he'll get another chance, and his time will come.

12. Another player who impressed in limited ice time on Saturday: Alex Alexeyev. The Russian blueliner drew back into the mix after 11 healthy scratches and was tied for the team lead in blocks (4) and had two hits through 10:53 minutes. He replaced Ethan Bear, who is still trying to win a full-time role in the lineup amid ups and downs.

A game like that could be a turning point for Alexeyev, especially with Fehervary's injury being a longer-term situation and more ice time to go around. And, if the team does elect to sell at the deadline and chooses to ship out Edmundson, he will get more ice time.

13. Bear and I sat down to discuss his healthy scratches and recent play. He thinks he's starting to finally figure out his game, citing inconsistency amid his return from offseason shoulder surgery while also experiencing the growing pains that come with adapting to a change in scenery and taking on a new team's systems.

His play has started to trend in the right direction, though, and the Capitals are taking notice. Bear is happy to be in D.C. and said he's enjoyed his tenure so far, and now, it's just a matter of simplifying his game and proving he should be in the lineup on a nightly basis. Of course, he admitted it's taken longer than he's hoped to adjust, but he's confident he's on the right track, which is a good sign for D.C.

14. Going on the topic of a different type of Bear: the Hershey Bears deserve a lot of credit. Mike Sgarbossa, Dubé and Lapierre have all been summoned up to the big club, taking away quite a few of their top assets. Still, though, they're finding ways to win and are miles ahead of other teams as they continue to dominate the AHL standings.

15. Sgarbossa's goal song being the Pirates of the Caribbean theme is absolute genius. But in reality, he's had quite the road to get here, and he has the respect of the entire room. The 30-year-old has two young boys, but the team has been accommodating of his family as he makes the jump. Travel and FaceTime are key in helping him stay in touch with family.

When it comes to what he's relied on the most, it's his hockey sense and speed, but his sense above all else. He has a goal and an assist since joining the team amid Evgeny Kuaznetsov's entry into the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and he's also taken a lot from playing with Pacioretty.

"It's faster. It's obviously the best league in the world. The most skill is in this league. And the AHL is a good league too, but the pace is a bit quicker," Sgarbossa said of the AHL.

Talking to Pacioretty, Dowd and others, there's nothing but good things to say about Sgarbossa, and the respect is there for the longtime pro.

16. Speaking of Hershey, Ethen Frank has been doing all of the right things at the AHL level and a call-up is expected at some point — and with the pace of injuries, it wouldn't be surprising if that's sooner rather than later. However, he is dealing with an injury at the moment.

17. And on the topic of prospects: Ryan Leonard is coming off another multi-point game for Boston College. It'd truly surprise me if he didn't make the pro jump next season. I think this year he makes his run at the Frozen Four, but it's hard for me to see him playing in the NCAA for another season.