Spencer Carbery Details Plans for Washington Capitals Newcomers – The Hockey Writers –

After missing the playoffs last season, the Washington Capitals had to make some strategic moves to set themselves up for success ahead of this season. General manager Chris Patrick and his crew did not come to play. The organization was able to drum up deals for Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, Boone Jenner, Vincent Desharnais, and Justin Holl, among others, adding new faces to both the forward and defensive cores.

A litany of new faces begs the question: where will these players fit in? Head coach Spencer Carbery finally spoke to the media, detailing his prospective plans for this season’s roster. There is plenty of time and room to experiment with the lineup still, especially at training camp, but he gave us a preview of what is to come in the fall.

Tuch and Kyrou: Top-Six Wingers

Two of the biggest acquisitions the team made were those of former Buffalo Sabres forward Tuch and former St. Louis Blues forward Kyrou. These two bring speed and elite puck skills as top-six wingers and address a deficit that the Capitals have been facing for a few seasons now, during both even-strength ice time and on the power play.

He noted that his squad was big, physical, and adept at the forecheck, adding that “a player like [Kyrou], and [Connor McMichael] was similar; I just think Jordan’s a little bit higher level when it comes to a game breaker with the puck, an ability to break you down with his skating, with his speed, with his puck skills. He is extremely, extremely dynamic.”

Kyrou will bring the speed and skill needed to counterbalance bigger playmakers like Aliaksei Protas or Pierre-Luc Dubois. “Jordan is making plays off of entries, breaking guys down in zone, and you’ve got these two big heavy guys. It’s a good complement,” said Carbery.

Regarding Tuch, the head coach touted him as a highly versatile player. “I think he’s a great example of our whole forward group. He’s got all the tools. He’s got his speed, size, physicality, plays power play, penalty kill. He’s an every-situation guy for us,” Carbery noted.

Where will these two skaters slot into the lineup? They have both primarily played as right-wingers and are right shots. However, they have also spent time on the left side, and Carbery indicated that he is not concerned about either player (nor Ryan Leonard or Alex Ovechkin) regarding their ability to swap wings as needed. Fans should expect to see them in the top six alongside players like Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome, Leonard, A. Protas, and Ovechkin.

Jenner: A Jack-of-All-Trades

Jenner was described as another all-situations player by Carbery. He heralded his skills as a “true pro in every sense of the word,” adding that he will be “a great guy that drives our group from a competitiveness standpoint, physicality, doing everything he can to help the team.”

The veteran has spent 13 seasons in the league and served as the Columbus Blue Jackets’ captain since the 2021-22 season. He is versatile and “can play any position…bottom six if you need him to play there. He can play top line for you. He can be first over the boards, winning faceoffs on the penalty kill,” the coach noted. His special teams skills are particularly valuable for the Capitals, as the power play and penalty kill have been areas of weakness for the team season after season.

Carbery appreciates that Jenner is so dynamic and versatile and threw around ideas of playing him on the fourth line, on the first line, alongside Wilson and other top-six talent, and on the top penalty kill unit. His leadership abilities will undoubtedly be valued, too. With a myriad of young talent, such as Justin Sourdif, Cole Hutson, and Leonard in the lineup, adding an additional layer of veteran presence and skill will complement the team nicely.

Desharnais and Holl: Defensive Power

As far as the backend, the Capitals needed an additional layer of physicality and depth, especially as they will start the season without Rasmus Sandin. “The addition of Desharnais, Liljegren coming back, Dylan McIlrath, Justin Holl, all we feel really, really good about,” Carbery indicated. He mused about the defensive pairings, throwing out a Matt Roy and Jakob Chychrun duo, as well as Roy pairing with Hutson. He also speculated on coupling up Martin Fehervary with Desharnais to serve as a shutdown pair.

Desharnais certainly adds impressive size to the blue line. At 6-foot-7, 227 pounds, he’s a defensively-minded defenseman who excels in his role. “We know exactly what he is and his identity as an NHL defenseman. I think he has a great understanding of that. I think it’s going to make it a perfect fit,” the coach remarked. He continued, “…to be able to really give us a reliable, strong, physical, good-defending defender like he is, is a really good fit.”

Holl is a veteran defenseman who has spent nine seasons playing at both the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL) levels. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he plays a similar role to Dylan McIlrath, but with slightly better offensive production and skating ability. It would not be surprising to see Holl played over McIlrath if he has a good showing at training camp. The team also signed depth forwards Jonny Brodzinski and Josh Dunne, but they will mainly be seen at the AHL level with the Hershey Bears.

A Standout Team

The Capitals have given themselves all of the tools they need to have a successful season and make the playoffs once again. From the first line to the fourth, across all defensive pairings, and right down to the goalie tandem, there is not a gap in their coverage. Their roster is stacked with scorers, playmakers, defenders, and enforcers both young and old. There is no doubt that Washington will be making waves in the league come October.