Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals and longtime New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist reached an agreement Friday on a one-year contract worth $1.5 million, Washington announced.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan first reported details of the free-agent signing.

Lundqvist was one of the NHL's best netminders for the first 13 years of his career, which began with the Rangers in 2005, five years after the team selected him in the seventh round of the 2000 draft.

His best statistical season came in 2011-12, when he posted career-best totals in both goals-against average (1.97) and save percentage (.930) to go along with eight shutouts in 62 appearances. He won the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goalie.

The 38-year-old Swedish star's numbers have dipped over the past two years, though. His GAA rose above 3.00 and his save percentage dropped below .910 for the first time during the 2018-19 campaign and stayed pretty much at the same level this past season.

New York bought out the final year of his contract in late September, and Lundqvist made it clear on Twitter he wanted to continue his NHL career:

I still love to compete. I still love the game and I still want to WIN!

— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist) October 4, 2020

In all, the five-time All-Star selection compiled a 2.43 GAA and .918 save percentage in 887 regular-season games with the Rangers. His postseason numbers (2.30 and .921 in 130 appearances) were even better.

Although it's possible Father Time is catching up with Lundqvist as he approaches 40, the fact that New York wasn't quite as defensively strong over the past few years as it was during his peak likely contributed to his statistical drop. Joining the Caps should give him an opportunity to bounce back.

The future Hall of Fame goaltender should take over as the starter in D.C. to replace Braden Holtby, though he'll likely split time with Ilya Samsonov, the Capitals' 23-year-old goalie of the future.

The Washington Capitals announced Tuesday they have hired Peter Laviolette as their new head coach.

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the two sides agreed to a three-year contract.

Laviolette said the following about joining the Caps: "I'm thankful and excited for the opportunity to lead this hockey club. This is a winning organization with high expectations. I look forward to coaching this tremendous group of players and bringing my experience and vision to the team." 

Washington fired Todd Reirden in August after he spent two seasons as the team's head coach. Although Reirden went an impressive 89-46-16 during the regular season, Washington was ousted in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.

Laviolette, 55, is set to coach his fifth different team in the NHL after previous stints as head coach of the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators.

In 18 seasons as a head coach, Laviolette is 637-425-25-123. He has led teams to the playoffs on 11 occasions and reached the Stanley Cup Final with three different teams.

Laviolette's Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2006, while the Flyers and Predators lost in the Cup Final in 2010 and 2017, respectively.

Despite the success he has enjoyed at several different stops during his career, Laviolette was fired by the Predators this season. Through 41 games, the Preds were just 19-15-7, which prompted them to relieve Laviolette of his duties in favor of John Hynes.

Given Laviolette's ability to step in and lead teams to the top in short order, he may be a perfect fit in Washington.

The Capitals are just two years removed from winning their first Stanley Cup  in team history, as they defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.

Barry Trotz coached the Caps to that title, but he left to join the New York Islanders after guiding his team to the Cup.. Reirden didn't prove to be a suitable replacement, as he led Washington to a pair of Metropolitan Division titles, but couldn't get the job done when it mattered most.

Laviolette will arguably take over the most talented team he has ever coached in Washington with forwards Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie, Tom Wilson and Jakub Vrana, as well as defensemen John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov leading the way.

The Capitals have a strong enough roster to win the Cup next season, but they need to take advantage of the remaining opportunities they have since their core is aging and Ovechkin can become a free agent after the 2020-21 campaign.

Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan announced Sunday head coach Todd Reirden was fired after the team's elimination by the New York Islanders in the first round of the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs on Thursday.

"We have higher expectations for our team, and we felt a fresh approach in leadership was necessary," MacLellan said. "We would like to thank Todd for all of his hard work and efforts with our organization. Todd has been a big part of our team for more than half a decade, including our Stanley Cup run in 2018, and we wish him and his family all the best moving forward."

Reirden was hired by the Caps as an assistant coach in June 2014. He was promoted to head coach in June 2018 after Barry Trotz failed to reach terms with the organization on a contract extension after leading the club to the Stanley Cup.

The 49-year-old former NHL defenseman posted a strong 89-46-16 regular-season record across two seasons leading the Capitals. The team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs both years, however, with their title defense last season ending at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes.

This year's elimination came with Trotz leading the Isles, which added sting to the exit.

"For whatever reason, our team wasn't able to mentally and physically get to our game for long enough," Reirden told reporters after the Game 5 loss. "This is not acceptable for our organization."

The Capitals are still built for success in the coming years. Goaltender Braden Holtby, who posted career-worst numbers during the 2019-20 season, is the only significant unrestricted free agent. The others, Ilya Kovalchuk, Radko Gudas and Brenden Dillon, are all replaceable.

Their lack of potential losses combined with the continued presence of a star-studded core, led by Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson, should make the Caps' job highly coveted for top coaching candidates during the offseason.

Meanwhile, Reirden also has experience as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins and NCAA's Bowling Green Falcons since his playing career ended in 2007 and could attract interest for such a role with another team.

The Washington Capitals' title chase is on life support.

Mathew Barzal netted a goal 4:28 into overtime Sunday, giving the New York Islanders a 2-1 win over the Capitals and a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Braden Holtby did all he could for the reeling Caps, stopping 32 shots to hold the Islanders in check.  Washington's attack never got going, though. Evgeny Kuznetsov scored on the power play in the second period for Washington, but the Caps sent only 23 shots on goal Semyon Varlamov's way.

        

Top Performers

Islanders

C Mathew Barzal: 1 goal

G Semyon Varlamov: 22 saves

LW Anders Lee: 1 goal

     

Capitals

G Braden Holtby: 32 saves

C Evgeny Kuznetsov: 1 goal

LW Alex Ovechkin: 1 assist

      

Islanders Hope History Doesn't Repeat Itself In Round 2 (Assuming They Get There)

Stop me if this sounds familiar: The Islanders sweep an early playoff opponent with a recent history of Stanley Cup success. 

Yes, that exact thing did happen one year ago in Round 1. The Islanders went on to get swept out of the playoffs one round later by the Carolina Hurricanes.

Lo and behold, the Hurricanes could await them in Round 2 again if Carolina beats the Boston Bruins in their Eastern Conference Final rematch. Boston holds a 2-1 series lead.

Regardless, the Islanders will likely get a chance to exorcise the demons of that embarrassment and erase all the memories of their inconsistent regular season if they can keep this momentum going and make a trip to the conference final.

               

At Least Capitals Fans Will Always Have 2018

A year ago, the Capitals crushed their fans by losing in the first round of their title defense. Equipped with a team that should, on paper, make at least the conference final, the Caps are one win away from disappointing once again.

Not that this is a surprise. One of the reasons Washington went so wild for the Capitals' Stanley Cup run in 2018 was the franchise's history of choking in the postseason.

Since 2007-08, Washington has won its division 10 times. The team has gotten past the second round of the playoffs just once.

While there were mitigating circumstances in some years, it's more than a little ironic to see Barry Trotz on the opposing bench leading the upset charge. Had the Capitals not undone the goodwill of their championship by allowing Trotz to walk in 2018, maybe they wouldn't be facing first-round elimination for the second straight season.

Now Trotz is on the precipice of getting the last laugh.

The Washington Capitals were not happy with Anders Lee's first-period hit on Nicklas Backstrom that knocked him out of the remainder of Wednesday's 4-2 loss against the New York Islanders.

Capitals head coach Todd Reirden called the hit "late" and "predatory," per ESPN, while John Carlson said it looked "real dirty to me."

The Capitals made their feelings known during the game too, as Lee—who is the Islanders captain—ended up in fights with Carlson (right after the hit) and Tom Wilson.

John Carlson and Anders Lee drop the 🥊's#NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/UQ5Jobayqw

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 12, 2020

Now, Tom Wilson and Anders Lee drop the gloves. 😅#NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/zwHtdXb9gZ

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 12, 2020

"I tried to throw the brakes on a little bit there, but I caught him," Lee said of the hit. "The end result after that was a penalty, a couple of fights. It was settled and then the game continued on."

Lee will not face additional punishment from the NHL:

We would have heard from the league by now, but confirming there's no supplemental discipline coming for Anders Lee for his Game 1 hit on Nick Backstrom.

No head contact, which is normally the @NHLPlayerSafety standard for a hearing on an interference penalty. #Isles

— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) August 13, 2020

"Playoff hockey should be right up Anders' wheelhouse, if you will," Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said. "He's big. He's strong. He scored an important goal. He had a hit. And he responded to Wilson's challenge. What more can you ask from a leader?"

Lee's third-period goal was key, as he tied the game at 2-2 after the Islanders had fallen down 2-0 in the second period.

The CAPTAIN! 🚨

Anders Lee doing what Anders Lee does. 💪

📺: NBCSN
💻: https://t.co/DUzjGrcyGG pic.twitter.com/qt6Fq7dRkw

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) August 12, 2020

Game 2 between the teams is scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin and his wife, Nastya, welcomed a baby boy named Ilya on Wednesday:

Another #OviJr has arrived! Congratulations to the Ovechkins on the birth of their second baby boy, Ilya! 👶🏻 pic.twitter.com/3m7jtNMpNi

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 27, 2020

Both parents shared the same photo on their individual Instagram accounts. The 12-time All-Star added a caption in his native Russian that translates to the following in English (via Cristina Ledra of NHL.com): "Thank you, my beloved @nastyashubskaya, for our charming baby! I am the happiest !! I love you very much! Ilya Aleksandrovich Ovechkin, welcome to this beautiful world, our boy!" 

The couple previously welcomed son Sergei in August 2018, two months after the Caps won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Sergei is named after Ovechkin's late brother, who died at 24 years old from a blood clot when Alexander was 10 years old.

Ovechkin and his eldest son rewatched the Capitals win the Stanley Cup last month while the NHL remains in a hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic:

Showing #OviJr that time when dad won the Stanley Cup...

Watch along with the Ovechkins now on @NBCSWashington! pic.twitter.com/eMAjoPY8ph

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 12, 2020

The NHL announced a return to play plan Tuesday, which canceled the remainder of the regular season and will jump into a 24-team Stanley Cup Playoff hosted in two undetermined host cities:

The @NHL has released a Return to Play Plan for the 2019-20 season.

◾ 24 teams to compete for #StanleyCup
◾ 2 hub cities will host games
◾ Protocol for return to training
◾ Draft Lottery

Full Details: https://t.co/JGXioEC4FA pic.twitter.com/3KoUjPRsq4

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 26, 2020

Ten key questions about the resumption of play that Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly answered during a videoconference with the media on Tuesday. https://t.co/9ibEjzrR6G

— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) May 27, 2020

Washington is seeded third in the Eastern Conference at 41-20-8 (90 points).

Ovechkin's 48 goals are tied with Boston's David Pastrnak for most in the league. The 34-year-old has led the league in goals in nine of his 15 seasons, including the last three years.

The Washington Capitals announced they are going to terminate the contract of forward Brendan Leipsic after offensive remarks he made in an Instagram group chat surfaced Wednesday. 

Washington made the move official Friday, announcing Leipsic will be placed on unconditional waivers with the intention to terminate his deal. The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir first reported the decision.     

Per Sam Jarden of Sporting News, Leipsic made several derogatory comments about women, including one that insulted the appearance of Vancouver Canucks winger Tanner Pearson's wife. There were also several references to drug use.

Leipsic issued an apology on Twitter:   

https://twitter.com/19LEIP/status/1258173279946199040

After the messages leaked, a Capitals spokesperson issued a statement to Samantha Pell of the Washington Post: "We are aware of the unacceptable and offensive comments made by Brendan Leipsic in a private conversation on social media. We will handle this matter internally."

The NHL also issued a statement saying it "strongly condemns the misogynistic and reprehensible remarks" and would "address the inexcusable conduct" from Leipsic and Florida Panthers forward Jack Rodewald, who was in the same group chat. 

Leipsic signed a one-year contract worth $700,000 with the Capitals in July. The 25-year-old had three goals and eight assists in 61 games this season. 

 

Washington Capitals forward Brendan Leipsic apologized for "inappropriate and offensive" comments made in a group chat that were posted on social media Tuesday.

Leipsic confirmed the messages, which he said were leaked after his friend's Instagram account was hacked, were made as part of "private conversations:"

https://twitter.com/19LEIP/status/1258173279946199040

The NHL released a statement saying it will "address the inexcusable conduct" by Leipsic and Florida Panthers forward Jack Rodewald, who was also involved in the group chat:

Statement from the National Hockey League. pic.twitter.com/aZm1M2wZBk

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 7, 2020

"We are aware of the unacceptable and offensive comments made by Brendan Leipsic in a private conversation on social media," a Capitals spokesperson said in a statement to Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. "We will handle this matter internally."

Leipsic made 61 appearances for the Caps before the 2019-20 season was halted by the coronavirus pandemic. He was contacted by Washington general manager Brian MacLellan by phone Wednesday and they will meet again in person when the team gets back together, per Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic.

The 25-year-old Canadian previously spent time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. He was selected by the Nashville Predators in the 2012 draft.    

One fan valued private hockey lessons from Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin at $38,000, which closed the 12-time All-Star's All-In Challenge auction Friday night.

Fanatics' All-In Challenge was launched April 14 by the company's founder and executive chairman Michael Rubin:

(Thread):
I continually say that it’s the responsibility of leaders in sports and business to step up and make a real difference during the most difficult times!! pic.twitter.com/olaoKnLmxI

— Michael Rubin (@michaelrubin) April 14, 2020

So, today we’re launching the ALL-IN Challenge with the goal of uniting the sports, business and entertainment communities to start the largest digital fundraising movement ever by raising tens of millions of dollars or more to help provide food for the growing…

— Michael Rubin (@michaelrubin) April 14, 2020

How does it work? It’s simple – post a video accepting the challenge, explain why you want to get involved and then unveil what your donation is.  BUT it can’t be just some run-of-the-mill item – to go ALL IN

— Michael Rubin (@michaelrubin) April 14, 2020

Ovechkin accepted the challenge April 19, offering up private hockey lessons, an exclusive game-day experience with the Caps, his game-worn gloves and a game-used stick:

I have accepted the @allinchallenge I hope we can help lots of people!!!Go to https://t.co/uEGxqcZLJ9 and see what you can do!! I also want to challenge my boy Ryan Zimmerman from the @nationals the @capitals organization and @snoopdogg to
go ALL IN to help!!! #allinchallange pic.twitter.com/OlrIrlzHWI

— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) April 19, 2020

The 34-year-old has become a sports icon since Washington made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL entry draft. Ovechkin led the organization to its first Stanley Cup in 2018, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as well. He has also won three league MVP awards, among other individual honors.

Ovechkin also contributed to COVID-19 relief efforts by playing Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky in NHL 20:

Who you got?

Don't miss The Great One vs. The Great Eight Showcase this Wednesday as @ovi8 and @WayneGretzky show down in @EASPORTSNHL!

Donate in advance to support the Edmonton Food Bank and MSE Foundation's "Feeding the Frontlines" here 👉 https://t.co/Fmx2gDMNLw pic.twitter.com/O7MZT5eYtF

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) April 20, 2020

Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) lives out a childhood dream by talking with The Great One, @WayneGretzky.

Watch the #HockeyAtHome show at 5p ET on Facebook, IGTV and YouTube! pic.twitter.com/wuwgIhCmoZ

— NHL (@NHL) April 20, 2020

The All-In Challenge has ballooned to include more than 100 athlete and celebrity auctions, with all funds going toward Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, America's Food Fund, World Central Kitchen and Feeding America.

So far, $27.9 million has been raised via the initiative.

The Washington Capitals added depth to their offense prior to Monday's trade deadline, announcing they had traded their third-round pick in the 2020 NHL draft to the Montreal Canadiens for left winger Ilya Kovalchuk.

J.P. Barry told @sportexpress Ilya Kovalchuk had a choice of 2 teams. And he chose the #ALLCAPS over the #NHLBruins

— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) February 24, 2020

The Capitals noted the Canadiens will retain 50 percent of Kovalchuk's salary. The 36-year-old is only under contract through the remainder of the season and makes $700,000 in 2019-20.

Pierre LeBrun of TSN suggested "every dime counts for the cap-challenged [Capitals]" and pointed out the Canadiens are on the hook for approximately $76,000 of Kovalchuk's salary the rest of the way.

Washington will be the veteran's third team of the season. The Los Angeles Kings placed him on waivers in December, and Thomas Williams of Yahoo Sports Canada noted the two sides were "in a standoff since his disappointing on-ice play after signing his three-year, $18.75-million deal last summer" prior to the move.

While the Canadiens have won their past two games, they are eight points out of the final wild-card spot in a deep Eastern Conference. This move allows them to salvage something in return for Kovalchuk before he potentially leaves this offseason.

The 36-year-old has appeared in 39 games for the Kings and Canadiens this season and has 22 points on 13 assists and nine goals. He finished the 2018-19 season with 34 points in his first NHL campaign since 2012-13, and the hiatus came because he joined SKA Saint Petersburg in his native Russia.

Kovalchuk was a two-time All-Star in his prime prior to his departure for Russia. He also won the Maurice Richard Trophy as the league's top goal scorer (41) while playing for the Atlanta Thrashers in 2003-04.

Washington will not receive that version of the playmaker, but he can still provide veteran leadership and scoring depth for the Metropolitan Division leaders as they pursue a second Stanley Cup championship in three years.