Capitals miss playoffs for 1st time since 2023, special teams among issues

The Washington Capitals failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2023.

The Capitals (42-30-9, 93 points) were eliminated from contention when the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in a shootout Monday.

Washington took a step back after it went 51-22-9 to finish first in the Eastern Conference with 111 points last season. The Capitals have qualified for the postseason in 16 of the 21 seasons of the Alex Ovechkin era, which might be at its end. The 40-year-old left wing is in the final season of a five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed with Washington on July 27, 2021, and said he will decide in the offseason whether he will return next season.

Here's a look at what happened in the 2025-26 season for the Capitals and why things could be better next season.

The skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents: Alex Ovechkin, F; Brandon Duhaime, F; David Kampf, F; Sonny Milano, F; Trevor van Riemsdyk, D; Timothy Liljegren, D

Potential restricted free agents: Connor McMichael, F; Hendrix Lapierre, F

Potential 2026 Draft picks: 5

What went wrong

Pierre-Luc Dubois' injury: Dubois entered this season hoping to take another step toward becoming one of the NHL's best two-way centers after setting NHL career highs of 66 points, 46 assists and a plus-27 rating last season. Those plans were derailed when abdominal and adductor muscle injuries that began bothering him during training camp required surgery Nov. 7. Dubois returned for the final game before the Olympic break Feb. 5, but the Capitals were on the outside of the playoff picture by then. With defenseman John Carlson sustaining a lower-body injury in that same game, Washington never really had its full lineup healthy before Carlson was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on March 6.

Couldn't repeat last season's offensive magic: After a host of players achieved NHL career-highs last season, several key players were unable to replicate that. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL career highs of 25 goals and 59 points) took another step and forward Tom Wilson (30 goals, 61 points) has come close to his 2024-25 production (33 goals, 65 points). Others have not, including forwards Dylan Strome (dropped from 29 goals, 82 points to 19 goals, 58 points), Aliaksei Protas (30 goals, 66 points to 25 goals, 52 points) and Connor McMichael (26 goals, 57 points to 14 goals, 46 points). Dubois being limited by his injury and age catching up a little with Ovechkin (still leads the team with 32 goals, 63 points) also contributed to the Capitals falling from second in the NHL in goals per game (3.49) to 15th (3.20).

Special teams issues: The Capitals' 5-on-5 play was their strength most of the season, as indicated by their plus-33 goal differential (179-146). Their problems on the power play and penalty kill held them back, though, when they could've made a difference for a team that is 12-8-9 in one-goal games. The penalty kill has improved greatly and is ranked second in the NHL since Jan. 1 (84.0 percent), but it was a liability at 27th in the League (76.0 percent) in 40 games before that. The power play struggled most of the season and is tied for 25th (17.6 percent) while allowing 11 short-handed goals, third-most in the League.

Reasons for optimism

The future has arrived: Washington's four rookies totaled eight points in a 6-3 victory at the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 11: forwards Ilya Protas (one goal, two assists), Ryan Leonard (two goals) and Justin Sourdif (assist) and defenseman Cole Hutson (two assists). They represent the start of a promising next generation. Ilya Protas, the 19-year-old younger brother of Aliaksei, was called up to make his NHL debut at the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 8 after he was leading Hershey of the American Hockey League with 62 points (28 goals, 34 assists) in 66 games. Hutson, also 19, has 10 points (three goals, seven) in 13 games since turning pro following his sophomore season at Boston University. Leonard, 21, and Sourdif, 24, each are in the top seven among rookies in points. Leonard is fifth with 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) in 74 games. Sourdif is tied for seventh 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in 77 games.

Logan Thompson: The 29-year-old has established himself as one of the top goalies in the NHL during his two seasons since the Capitals acquired him in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on June 29, 2024. Thompson earned a spot on Team Canada's roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics on his way to setting an NHL career-high with 58 appearances (all starts) this season. He is fourth in the League in wins (31-21-6), tied for third in shutouts (four), and fifth in goals-against average (2.44) and tied for third in save percentage (.912) among goalies who've played at least 30 games. Thompson has five years remaining on the six-year, $35.1 million contract he signed with the Capitals on Jan. 27, 2025, and gives them a chance to win every game he plays.

Room and assets to upgrade roster: The Capitals have been trying to add a scoring wing since the end of last season and completing that quest will be even more important if Ovechkin decides not to return. The good news is they should have plenty of space to add under the $104 million salary cap for next season and they've acquired assets to help them do that via trade. For Carlson, the Capitals received a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. They also added a second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft, a third-round pick in the 2027 draft and goalie prospect Jesper Vikman for trading center Nic Dowd to the Golden Knights on March 5. With the options likely limited on the unrestricted free agent market for the second straight offseason, trades will be the Capitals' best avenue for improving their lineup and they are in good position to do that.