Capitals have eyes on Cup after Ovechkin return, busy offseason, Strome says

BRAMPTON, Ontario -- Dylan Strome says it’s a Stanley-Cup-or-bust season for the Washington Capitals.

“I mean, I think it has to be,” the veteran forward told NHL.com on Monday. “I think with the pieces that we’ve added, you can’t ask much more from management, so now it’s time for the players to step up and do what’s asked of us.”

Strome was speaking at the Smilezone Foundation’s 12th Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament at Lionhead Golf Club in support of creating brighter spaces for children and families across Canada. 

Although the start of the 2026-27 season is still two months away, he’s already thinking of it and the additions the Capitals have made, most notably forwards Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner. 

But the biggest move, the one that Strome said gave him and his teammates the most inspiration, was captain Alex Ovechkin signing a one-year contract on July 2 to return to the Capitals for his 22nd NHL season.

Strome said he was on the golf course at the time when one of his friends received breaking news over his phone that the Capitals captain was coming back.  

The 29-year-old’s response to the update?

“‘What? Really?!”’ Strome recalled telling his golfing buddy. “I mean, ‘Ovi’s’ pretty good at keeping things tight to the chest so we really didn’t know.

“I remember checking my own phone after my buddy told me and saw that Ovi had sent a text to our group letting us know he was coming back and that he was pumped.”

So were his teammates.

“It’s obviously exciting news,” Strome said. 

Just like many of the Capitals’ other key acquisitions.

Disappointed at missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs after qualifying for the postseason 16 of the previous 18 years, Washington added three-time 30-goal-scorers Kyrou and Tuch in separate trades on June 23 and 24, respectively. Jenner, the former captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets who has 212 goals in 808 regular-season NHL games, came aboard July 1, signing a four-year, $23 million contract $5.75 million average annual value).

The following day, the Ovechkin announcement came, augmenting an already formidable Capitals forward group that now includes Strome, Tuch, Kyrou, Jenner, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Tom Wilson, brothers Aliaksei and Ilya Protas, Ryan Leonard and veteran Anthony Beauvillier.

For Strome, who had 58 points (19 goals, 39 assists) in 80 games last season, it was impressive work by the organization.

“Not only with Ovi coming back but some of the other things too,” he said. “Tuch was the big fish. So I think they had the goal in mind of what they wanted to do in the offseason and it seems they obtained that goal pretty well, getting some high-octane offensive guys that can definitely help on the power play and 5-on-5 scoring which is obviously important during the playoffs.”

The Capitals (43-30-9) finished last season with 95 points, three behind the Philadelphia Flyers for third in the Eastern Conference and the final spot into the playoffs. 

Ovechkin (32) and Wilson (30) were the only players to score at least 30 goals, as a result Washington finished 15th in the NHL with 3.18 goals per game. Enter Tuch, who had 33 goals and 66 points last season and has scored at least 33 goals in three of his past four seasons. 

“We were in the postseason two years ago and we want to get back there,” Strome said. “So, obviously, does management. They’ve given us some more tools to work with and it’s exciting.

“I can’t wait to get going and see just how good we can be.”

With good reason.