Sunday Sports – On this fine late September Sunday morning, the Caps are making the short trip north to New Jersey for a Sunday matinee exhibition match with the Devils at Prudential Center. As they hit the road this morning, the Caps are one – along with Ottawa, Chicago and San Jose – one of only four NHL teams to play as few as two preseason games to this point of training camp.
By the time they return to the District tonight, they’ll be halfway through their six-game exhibition slate, which concludes with a pair of home games on Thursday and Saturday of this week against Boston and Columbus, respectively.
First Air Of Autumn – Plenty of eyes are focused on Ryan Leonard this fall, and rightfully so. The Hobey Baker Award finalist made his NHL debut with Washington last April 1, and he ended up playing nine regular season and eight Stanley Cup playoff games, all before participating in his first training camp and seeing NHL preseason action. As the eighth player chosen overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, Leonard is Washington’s highest pick in the Draft since 2007 when the Caps grabbed blueliner Karl Alzner at No. 5 overall.
But most of Leonard’s draft class of 2023 is expected to turn pro this year, and the first four Washington selections from that draft – Leonard, Andrew Cristall, Patrick Thomas and Cam Allen – are all in the lineup today in New Jersey.
Leonard played in one of the Caps’ first two preseason games this fall, as did Cristall, who was a star of training camp and exhibitions last year, nearly cracking the opening night roster. Defenseman Cam Allen, the Caps’ fifth-rounder (136th overall) in the 2023 Draft, made his NHL preseason debut in 2024.
Today, center Patrick Thomas gets his first taste of NHL preseason in today’s game in New Jersey. Thomas was chosen with the Caps’ fourth-round pick (104th overall) in 2023. He was a second-year eligible player when drafted, coming off a solid 56-point season (17 goals, 39 assists) in 66 games with OHL Hamilton, which advanced to the Memorial Cup Finals in Thomas’ first season with the team in 2021-22.
In the first season after he was drafted, Thomas ratcheted up his production, putting up 66 points (21 goals, 45 assists) in 57 games. In his final OHL season of 2024-25, Thomas went off, putting up 104 points (27 goals, 77 assists) in 66 games and adding another 13 (three goals, 10 assists) in 11 playoff games.
Thomas led the OHL in assists last season and finished sixth in the circuit in scoring.
“Honestly, I think it was just a very loose season for me,” says Thomas of his final OHL campaign. “I had a great [training] camp and I felt really confident, and I showed myself that I can play at the next level. Entering the season, I had a ton of confidence, and I was playing with unbelievable players. [Nick] Lardis scored 70-plus goals, and that was a huge plus for me. And we had some great chemistry, so it was huge for the season.”
Now in his third training camp with the Capitals, Thomas begins his entry level contract as a pro this season, and he is one of what is certain to be Washington’s largest class of first-year pros in at least a decade.
“I’m excited,” says Thomas, of turning pro this season. “It’s definitely a different camp for me, being my first one as a signed player. I feel like I have more responsibility to kind of lead the younger guys, and I also feel like I have higher goals for myself. I felt like my first year at camp, I was just kind of making my way through, and I didn’t really set expectations. But this year, I’m pushing as high as I can reach, and just trying to do my best every day.”
As evidenced by four of the six members of the 2023 Washington draft class being on the ice in New Jersey today, that group of players – as well as several from the 2022 and 2024 Drafts – are embarking on their pro careers simultaneously, and they’ll be pushing their way up the ranks and growing and evolving together as they do.
“It’s awesome,” says Thomas. “I’m a pretty shy guy typically, so the first camp I was kind of doing my own thing. The past couple of years, I’ve been up to Hershey [after the conclusion of the OHL season] and I’ve been able to bond with the guys that were scratched, just working out every day and hanging out together. Just building those friendships have been pretty big for me.”
The opportunity to practice with and against pro players in those postseason forays to Hershey has also aided Thomas’ own development on the ice.
“I think it’s massive, honestly, just being able to see what the level is that you need to reach,” he says. “And being able to skate with the actual players is good for sizing yourself up, seeing what you need to work on, and then entering the offseason and continuing to work on that.”
And what are those aspects of Thomas’ game that still need some development in order for him to achieve his goal of playing in the NHL?
“Definitely my strength; that’s always been my biggest thing,” Thomas admits. “Along with that, my skating and my shot. Those kinds of things fit into each other. I think my mind for the game is top level, and honestly, I think I could play in the NHL right now if my strength and other things were up there, so I’m just trying to work on that and hopefully I can reach it this year, or maybe in the next couple of years.”
Hit, Git And Split – The Devils are playing as many preseason games today (two) as the Caps have played in the preseason to date. While some of the Devils remain in Newark to take on the Capitals this afternoon, another batch of New Jersey skaters needed passports for their Sunday matinee match; they’ll be dropping the puck at 3 pm as well, but at Quebec City’s Videotron Centre where that group goes up against the Ottawa Senators.
In The Nets – Washington brought its varsity goaltending tandem of Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren to New Jersey for today’s game. There’s no word as to how they’ll be deployed this afternoon.
All Lined Up – Here’s how we expect the Caps to look when they take the ice on Sunday afternoon in Newark. New Jersey is playing in two countries at the same time today, so we’ll see which 20 dudes the Devils left in Newark come warm-up time; their game notes were dry as far as personnel is concerned.
WASHINGTON
Forwards
21-A. Protas, 80-Dubois, 9-Leonard
22-Duhaime, 62-I. Protas, 34-Sourdif
28-Cristall, 73-Mateiko, 50-Clarke
87-Trineyev, 49-Thomas, 18-Parascak
Defensemen
6-Chychrun, 57-van Riemsdyk
38-Sandin, 52-McIlrath
27-Belpedio, 54-Allen
Goaltenders
48-Thompson
79-Lindgren
