The general manager may decide that his efforts to strengthen the team were in vain.
Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alexander Ovechkin / Photo: © KHL / Ilya Smirnov, Rich Graessle / Contributor / Getty Images Sports / Gettyimages.ru
Evgeny Kuznetsov plays in the FONBET KHL Championship and has already played 10 games for SKA from St. Petersburg. It seemed that the fans of Washington and even the players of the capital club should have dealt with the departure of the Russian and moved on. In addition, the team has changed a lot recently.
However, the day before, Alexander Ovechkin said that he missed his friend. Plus, the Capitals don’t have Evgeniy’s skill level right now. The general manager, who has done a good job, could view Ovechkin’s words as an attack. And it may be unpleasant for hockey players who have just joined the team to hear such things.
Big changes
In the offseason, Washington made a major upgrade to their roster and on paper it became much stronger. It is too early to talk about the team’s chances of reaching the playoffs, but the capital club’s general manager Brian McLellan has done a good job. Of all the transactions, we can highlight the signing of defender Jacob Chickran, forwards Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangipane, and goalkeeper Logan Thompson.
The 26-year-old Chickran was once considered a promising Norris Trophy-worthy defensive player every season. At some point, it seemed that Jacob had passed on Arizona, where he had been playing since 2016.
But the defender did not move to a club that competed for the Stanley Cup, so he began to mark time. He spent the last regular season with Ottawa and for the first time in his career he played all 82 games, scoring 41 (14 + 27) points. Washington strengthened its defense significantly by signing Chikran, who is capable of being the leader of the capital club.
But the signing of Dubois and Mangipane should be appreciated not only by Capitals fans, but also by Ovechkin. Experts predict that the Russian striker will often play alongside newcomers this season. There is, of course, an option where Dylan Strome will play in the middle instead of Dubois, but at least, improvements in the attack have been made for Alexander’s sniper record.
There were better masters
Spencer Carbery is lucky that Strome and Ovechkin have chemistry, otherwise the team would be too dependent on Pierre-Luc’s mood. In addition, the newcomer in his role was not yet characterized by stability. It has been reported that the talented hockey player has never been consistent and finds it difficult to stay motivated for long. So, Washington took a risk by signing a center with a controversial reputation. With the Capitals, Dubois could be a utility asset or an offensive leader.
Pierre-Luc Dubois / Photo: © Richard T Gagnon / Contributor / Getty Images Sports / Gettyimages.ru
Before the beginning of the season, the captain of the capital club appreciated the signing of Pierre-Luc, but he did it strangely. Russia said the Canadian is generally a good player, but a few seasons ago he would have played in the lower echelons in Washington. Alasdair did not say this directly, but noted that the team was weakened without some hockey players.
“We don’t have enough guys with the skill of Backstrom and Kuznetsov. But it is what it is. There is nothing you can do about it. But Dubois is pretty good. He is still learning. He still has great potential,” the NHL press service quoted Ovechkin as saying.
Carbery wasn’t on the team when Ovechkin’s friends were rocking a Washington jersey at the stadium. But Spencer has someone to compare Du Bois to. And so far, it seems, he does not see a star on the level of Kuznetsov or Backstrom in the newcomer.
“Especially for a team like us that’s going back on the plane, if you don’t go in the top five in the NHL draft, it’s really hard to find high-quality centers that can score 35-40 goals and guys who played against Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, Brayden Point and the list goes on,” said head coach Washington Carbery.
However, Spencer was careful to say that Dubois can realize his potential. But another friend of Ovechkin, forward Tom Wilson, believes that the newcomer is on the same level as Kuznetsov.
– I am very happy to play with him. He has the ability to make those special passes that you see from top players like Backstrom and Kuznetsov. “He has that ability,” Wilson said.
At least, on paper, Washington looks stronger than last year. And the team can calmly fight to reach the playoffs. But the Capitals captain may change his opinion on Dubois’ level soon. The capital club will play at their home ground on October 13.
2024-10-11 20:43:00
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