At this time last year, the Washington Capitals were primarily concerned with integrating seven or eight new faces into their lineup in the wake of a busy summer of 2024 in which they remade a significant chunk of their roster. As they kicked off training camp for 2025 at Arlington’s MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Thursday, the Caps are expecting a different training camp experience from last fall.
With 10 players (four forwards, four defensemen and two goaltenders) under contract through at least the next three seasons, the Caps have established the core of their team going forward, and the competition for varsity jobs this fall is limited to a few spots on the periphery of the roster.
A day after celebrating his 40th birthday, Caps captain Alex Ovechkin heads into the final season of a five-year contract extension he signed on July 27, 2021. Veteran blueline stalwart John Carlson – who turns 36 in January – is heading into the final season of an eight-year deal he inked on June 25, 2028, less than three weeks after the Capitals claimed the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.
Ovechkin and Carlson both turned in solid seasons in 2024-25, and while their futures beyond this season are uncertain, no one should underestimate the capabilities of either player to shine again this season, and perhaps even beyond this season. But those are matters for another day.
On this day, Carlson took the ice but Ovechkin did not; the Caps and the captain erred on the side of caution, opting to keep him out of the first day of practice and drills.
“Just precautionary,” says Caps coach Spencer Carbery of Ovechkin’s excused absence on the first day of camp. “He came off early today. I would call it nothing significant; call it day-to-day. And just more so, at the beginning of camp, lower body.”
Typically, injured players aren’t available to speak to the media, but Ovechkin did speak to reporters for about five minutes on Thursday afternoon.
“Good, busy, fast,” is how Ovechkin characterized his summer in three words.
As for turning 40, he was slightly more verbose.
“Same,” he says. “Nothing changed. Just a different number.”
Two others – blueliner Martin Fehervary and newly acquired forward Justin Sourdif – were clad in baby blue “non-contact” sweaters, but both practiced and Carbery has no long-term concerns over either player.
“No, I don’t think so,” Carbery says. “Marty, we all know [about] him going through surgery after the season and training this summer. It’s a long camp and we’re trying to manage his reps to make sure that he’s not over-exerting. And it’s the same thing [with] Justin Sourdif – illness – he is working his way back. So they’re just in non-contact to ease them into training camp.”
On the plus side of the ledger, Sonny Milano – limited to just three games last season because of an upper body injury – was a full participant on Thursday, the first full contact practice he has taken part in since last fall; Milano last skated in an NHL game on Nov. 6, 2024.
“It’s fantastic,” says Carbery. “We were talking about it as a staff, we don’t think we had seen him practice in a full contact jersey since [last] October, and you think about that, almost a calendar year. And so it was great to see him out there as a full participant in everything that we’re doing. He had a full offseason of offseason training and that, so we’re looking forward to seeing him in training camp and seeing him back out there.”
Last season’s training camp line combinations and integrations went well, leading to a 111-point season and a Metropolitan Division crown. As always, the Caps have their collective eyes on a larger prize. The roster alterations made in the summer of 2024 have changed the face and outlook of the team moving forward, as the Caps have managed to inject some youth into their lineup and some strong prospects into their system without bottoming out in the standings and undertaking a full rebuild.
Thursday’s session got the dreaded skate test out of the way; it’s over, and not just for another year. This year’s skate test should be a wrap for all 32 teams; the new CBA that goes into effect next season is expected to relegate the skate test to the dust bins of NHL history. It won’t be missed by the players.
“As I get older, it gets harder, obviously,” says veteran center Nic Dowd. “And I’m skating with some of the fastest guys on the ice, and that makes you feel slow for sure. But I think that’s a perfect time for it to end for me.”
Each of the three practice groups completed the test and followed it up with a spirited first practice that included some battle and contact drills.
“It never changes from the first one,” says Carlson. “The first day is always crazy and the pace is real high, and you have those nerves and anticipation of everything. It makes it fun and kind of sets the tone for the year. It was a good day; I’m glad it’s done.”
They’ll be back at it again all through the weekend before taking Monday as the first off day of camp. The Caps will open their six-game preseason slate on Sunday afternoon in Boston, where 20 players will suit up for a tune-up tilt with the Bruins.
A week from tonight, the Caps will play their second preseason game and first “home” game at Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. where their longtime AHL affiliate is based. Thursday’s NHL preseason tilt against the Philadelphia Flyers is the first the Caps have played in Hershey in nearly two decades, since Sept. 2006.
