Washington's lineup for tonight's opener includes defenseman Lucas Johansen, the Caps' first-round choice (26th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft. Johansen will be paired with Taylor Chorney on the Caps' blueline. The 18-year-old Johansen will be pulling on the Caps sweater to face another NHL opponent for the first time in his NHL career tonight.
"It's fun," says Chorney. "I think it will be fun for both of us. I'm thinking back - it seems like a long time ago - playing my first exhibition game. You're still in the National Hockey League, you're wearing the uniform and it's a home game, so I'm sure he's going to be pumped up.
"We've been talking. We played together in practice [on Sunday], so there is a little bit of a level of familiarity. I think we're both looking forward to it."
Chorney is eight years removed from his own first preseason game.
"I don't remember who my defense partner was," says Chorney of his 2008 NHL preseason debut as a member of the Edmonton Oilers. "For some reason, I feel like it was Lubomir Visnovsky, but I honestly don't know for sure. I do remember the game. We played in Edmonton against Vancouver. I remember just having fun. It goes so fast. You might as well just embrace it. You don't need to put any extra pressure on yourself. Juts play and enjoy it."
The elder statesman of the Caps' roster and blueline corps celebrates his 36th birthday today. Born in San Francisco on this day in 1980, Brooks Orpik is now 15 years removed from his own NHL preseason debut.
"I was [partnered] with Ian Moran," recalls Orpik. "And I actually knew him a little bit before I got to Pittsburgh. He was another Boston College guy and he settled me down a little bit.
"It was a lot different then. I think we had 10 days of camp before our first preseason game, so we played a lot of intrasquad games. It's obviously a lot different now when on your fourth day of camp you're jumping right into preseason games. There are probably positives and negatives to having it that quickly. But everybody knows how the schedule is set up, so guys come in a little bit more prepared to camp. I think guys are excited to get into a game right away."
Orpik is a veteran of 822 regular season NHL games, and the other 11 defensemen expected to suit up for both sides tonight have combined for just 551 games played in the league among them.
"Just have fun with it," says Orpik. "Just have fun and play the game. Don't think about anything too much. A lot of times you tiptoe into those games, and you usually don't play very well. If you play nervous, guys take advantage of that. There's a reason he was a high draft pick. He should just go out and approach the game the same way he normally does."
Other notables in the Washington lineup tonight include goaltender Vitek Vanecek and center Lars Eller. Vanecek was Washington's second-round choice (39th overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft. Last season, he got his first taste of pro hockey in North America, posting an 18-7-6 record with four shutouts, a 2.03 GAA and a .917 save pct. for South Carolina of the ECHL. Vanecek also started and won his only start at the AHL level last season, permitting just one goal against in that game.
Tonight marks Vanecek's first ever NHL start in a preseason game.
After spending the last six seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Eller was obtained from the Habs in June for a pair of second-round draft picks. He will be making his Caps debut tonight, centering the team's top line with Jakub Vrana and Stanislav Galiev.
Carolina has missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for seven straight seasons and nine of the last 10, but the Hurricanes' total of 86 points last season was the team's highest since it registered 91 in 2010-11. Carolina and Washington are heading into their 18th straight season as members of the same NHL division.
The Hurricanes are bringing a youthful team to town tonight, with center Jordan Staal and defenseman Justin Faulk as the most notable veterans among their 20 players.
The Caps are 12-1-2 in their last 15 home preseason games, and they're 5-0-2 in exhibition play against the Hurricanes since 2007.
Caps Lineup for Sept. 26 vs. Carolina
Forwards
13-Vrana, 20-Eller, 16-Galiev
79-Walker, 83-Beagle, 43-Wilson
26-Winnik, 42-Malone, 24-Barber
17-C. Bourque, 18-Stephenson, 28-Carey
Defensemen
44-Orpik, 22-Bowey
21-Johansen, 4-Chorney
55-Ness, 78-Lewington
Goaltenders
41-Vanecek
84-MacIntyre
