Washington Capitals

Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin is the new record holder for career empty-net goals.

The veteran scored his 57th career open-net goal, breaking legendary center Wayne Gretzky's previous record. The goal that came in the third period helped the Capitals in a 3-0 route against the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

Besides Ovechkin and Gretzky, no other players have scored more than 40 empty-net goals. Gretzky reached his number of 56 in 1,487 games, while Ovechkin broke the record in 1,394 games.

The goal also gave Ovechkin his 834th career goal, and he sits 60 goals behind Gretzky, who had 894 in his career. This year, Ovechkin has notched 12 goals after scoring 42 last season.

Ovechkin also leads the NHL in all-time power-play goals with 304 and overtime goals with 26.

The Capitals have struggled this season, sitting in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division at 23-20-7. With Saturday's win over the Bruins, Washington managed to snap a six-game win streak, and the Capitals will be looking to keep the momentum going into a two-game home stand. Washington will take on the Vancouver Cunucks on Sunday.

Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie wore neck protection during Thursday night's matchup against the New York Islanders in the wake of Adam Johnson's death.

Johnson died after his neck was slashed by the skate of an opposing player in England's Champions Cup this weekend, an incident being investigated by authorities.

Oshie, 36, founded the company Warroad that has made cut-resistant turtlenecks and neck guards to offer protection for hockey players. Oshie reportedly is the second player to wear neck protection in a game after Rasmus Dahlin did so on Wednesday evening:

Oshie's teammate, Tom Wilson, started testing out the gear in Thursday's morning skate.

"I mean I was thinking about it," Wilson told reporters about wearing protection on his neck going forward. "There's cut-proof (material) pretty much everywhere else now. Wrists, ankles, Achilles, back of the socks. But not on the neck. So I thought that doesn't make a lot of sense. When that's probably the most important part."

A number of other Capitals also have tried out Oshie's Warroad gear, including Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, Nic Dowd, Nick Jensen and Darcy Kuemper, while Erik Karlsson, Lars Eller, Ryan Graves and Marcus Pettersson of the Pittsburgh Penguins wore neck guards during Thursday's practice.

Karlsson said Johnson's death on the ice put "a lot of things in perspective."

"We all have families and friends—we do this because we love to do this and we get paid well to do it, and stuff like that," he told reporters. "At the end of the day, we do it because it's a choice. I don't think anyone would keep doing it if it meant risking your life every day going out there. If you can wear a small piece of equipment to hopefully prevent something like that again, I think that's a win."

Neck protection—and whether it should be made mandatory by the NHL—has become an important topic of discussion around the NHL this week.

"I just wish these things never had to be made, and injuries like this would never happen, because it's so sad," Oshie told The Athletic's Mark Lazerus on Sunday. "It hits me pretty hard, just thinking about my kids. I could take one to the neck tonight. And for them to not have a father—it's just so sad and it makes me think twice about protecting myself and my neck out there. Whether it looks cool or not."

Washington Capitals alternate captain Nicklas Backstrom is stepping away from the team due to his health problems stemming from hip surgery he had in June 2022.

Backstrom and Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan issued separate statements announcing the move, with the 35-year-old citing his "ongoing injury situation" as the reason for his decision.

Backstrom has had hip problems dating back to 2015 when he had arthroscopic surgery. The issue has become more pronounced in recent years as he's gotten older.

After missing the first two months of the 2021-22 season while rehabbing a hip injury, Backstrom had resurfacing surgery in the summer of 2022. He missed the first two months last season as a result of the procedure.

There was some hope coming into this season that the hip wasn't going to be an issue. Backstrom told reporters in September he had "nothing more to say" about the injury and he felt "100 percent" healthy.

"I've done everything I can this summer," he said. "I worked really hard and really excited to be here for training camp. Love this team, love this city, love the fans. There's nothing I'm more excited about than going back and playing hockey."

Backstrom has appeared in each of Washington's first eight games and averaged just under 15 minutes of ice time per game. His only point was an assist in a 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 25.

A 17-year NHL veteran, Backstrom has spent his entire career with the Capitals. He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2006 draft and is the franchise's all-time leader with 762 assists. His 1,105 career games are the second-most in team history, behind Alex Ovechkin's 1,355.

Backstrom helped the Capitals win their first Stanley Cup title during the 2017-18 season. He had seven points in five games in the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Veteran forward Tom Wilson and the Washington Capitals have agreed to terms on a seven-year, $45.5 million contract extension, the franchise announced Friday. The deal will keep him in Washington through the 2030-31 season.

Capitals senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan said in a statement:

Tom possesses all the intangibles needed to win in this League and we are extremely pleased to sign him to a long-term contract, giving him the opportunity to finish his career in a Capitals' uniform. Throughout his career, Tom has improved every facet of his game through his drive and competitiveness. We feel his work ethic and leadership qualities will be a tremendous asset to our organization for years to come.

Extending Wilson, who was set to enter the final year of his current contract, was a priority for the Capitals this summer. MacLellan said during an end-of-season press conference in April that he wanted the forward "to finish up in Washington."

Wilson also made it known that he had a strong desire to remain with the Capitals while speaking with reporters during his end-of-season press conference in April:

I'm not a guy that's going to play hardball or say that I don't want to be here. Everyone knows I love it here and I want to be here. No matter what happens, I want to help this city win games and I think if…I do my job and we start winning games and the team's playing well, there's not going to be a lot of question marks. You're in the playoffs, playing well, things take care of themselves.

The Capitals selected Wilson in the first round of the 2012 draft and he has been a staple in the team's lineup since making his debut during the 2013-14 campaign.

While Wilson has evolved into a solid offensive contributor over his 10-year career, he has also developed a reputation as one of the toughest players in the NHL as he redefines what it means to play physical.

The 29-year-old had a disappointing 2022-23 season as he missed half of the year while recovering from a torn ACL suffered during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In 33 games, he notched 13 goals and nine assists for 22 points and also racked up 78 penalty minutes.

In 680 games across his 10-year career, Wilson has tallied 128 goals and 167 assists for 295 points and a whopping 1,299 penalty minutes.

After missing the playoffs during the 2022-23 season, Wilson and the Capitals are looking to find more success in 2023-24.

The Nashville Predators missed the playoffs by three points last season and are actively looking for the pieces to help them return to the postseason. One such piece is Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov, who the Preds are interested in acquiring per Michael Gallagher.

The Predators need help at the center position. Ryan Johansen is now a member of the Colorado Avalanche, leaving Nashville with a void in the position.

New Predators general manager Barry Trotz is familiar with Kuznetsov having coached him in Washington when the team captured the Stanley Cup at the conclusion of the 2018 season and knows what to expect from the Russian competitor.

He raved in a post-game press conference that season, "Kuzy has elevated his game. It's not surprising when you see his ability, his I.Q., his skill level, and now he's brought that pride of playing in really tough games (to) the most meaningful games you can play in. He's been outstanding."

The 2022-23 season was a forgettable one for Kuznetsov, whose frustration with the Capitals performance on the ice was apparent in his own play, which was one of the worst of his 10-year NHL career.

Goals, assists, points and shooting percentage were all down and general manager Brian MacLellan verbalized his disappointment in Kuznetsov's play. As if that was not enough, the player has twice requested a trade from the team.

Kuznetsov has two years and $16 million left on his contract with Washington so Nashville would have to recognize that and be willing to take on the cap hit but if so, the team would be acquiring a quality second-wave center who can win face-offs and at his best, is a 70-80-point contributor.

To return to prominence in a Western Conference that includes Stanley Cup champions the Vegas Golden Knights and contenders like Edmonton, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota and Los Angeles, the Predators will need all the depth they can get.

Kuznetsov provides that and on top of that, has a history with Trotz, who should be able to work with coach Andrew Brunette to maximize what the veteran player has to offer.

The Washington Capitals hired Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach Spencer Carbery as their head coach Tuesday.

General manager Brian MacLellan issued a statement on the move:

We are extremely pleased to name Spencer as our new head coach. Spencer is one of the best young coaches in the game who's had success at every level at which he has coached. We feel his leadership, communication skills, ability to develop players and familiarity with our organization will be a tremendous asset as he makes this next step in his coaching career.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir reported the deal was expected to go through.

Carbery replaces Peter Laviolette, who mutually agreed to part ways with the Caps in April after they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

El-Bashir reported May 22 that Carbery was "near the top" of MacLellan's list of candidates.

The 41-year-old already has coaching experience within the organization. He took charge of the AHL's Hershey Bears in June 2018 and spent three seasons there before joining Toronto's staff in July 2021.

El-Bashir noted he worked with Connor McMichael, Aliaksei Protas, Alexander Alexeyev and Joe Snively in Hershey.

In March, ESPN's Emily Kaplan included Carbery among the list of coaches ready to step into a lead role for an NHL team and wrote he was "thought highly of in the Caps organization after three years leading its top minor league affiliate."

Capitals owner Ted Leonsis was emphatic in December when he said the organization wasn't going to embrace a total rebuild amid a difficult season and following four straight first-round exits.

Totally tearing it down might be tough as long as long as Alex Ovechkin is under contract—he's signed through 2025-26. Not to mention, Washington's veteran core is all set to return for next season.

Hiring Carbery doesn't mean those plans have changed since he's such a highly regarded coach on the rise. Given his age, though, you'd assume the front office is taking a long-term view and won't act too hastily if he fails to spark an immediate turnaround.

Future Hockey Hall of Famers Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby topped the NHL in jersey sales during the 2022-23 regular season.

According to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, Ovechkin was first and Crosby was second, followed by Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak in third, New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes in fourth and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews in fifth.

Wyshynski noted that Ovechkin has now ranked first in jersey sales two years in a row. The Washington Capitals star was aided this season by not only the Caps releasing two new jersey styles, but also his own ascent up the all-time goal scoring list.

In his 18th NHL season, Ovechkin scored 42 goals, giving him 822 for his career. That moved him into second place on the all-time goals list, just 72 behind Wayne Gretzky's record of 894.

Crosby is also an 18-year veteran, having spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He finished the 2022-23 campaign with 93 points, which was his highest total since 2018-19.

Among players who played in the NHL this season, Crosby is first in career points with 1,502. He is also 15th on the all-time list in that category.

Ovechkin and Crosby have been compared to each other for their entire careers, as they were No. 1 overall draft picks in back-to-back years and both entered the NHL in 2005.

Both have enjoyed a great deal of individual and team success, making them two of the all-time greats.

Ovechkin is a one-time Stanley Cup champion, plus he has won the Hart Trophy three times, Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy nine times, and the Art Ross and Conn Smythe Trophies one time each.

Crosby is a three-time Stanley Cup winner, and he has won the Art Ross, Hart, Rocket Richard and Conn Smythe Trophies two times each.

Ovechkin and Crosby have been at or near the top of jersey sales throughout their careers, and even as they reach the latter stages, they are still immensely popular.

The Washington Capitals and head coach Peter Laviolette have mutually agreed to part ways after three seasons, senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced Friday.

"We are grateful for Peter's leadership and dedication to our organization for the last three seasons," MacLellan said. "Peter is a first-class individual who has represented our club with integrity and guided our team through many difficult circumstances in his tenure as our head coach. We wish him all the best moving forward."

Laviolette's contract with the Capitals expires on June 30. The franchise will now embark on a search for the 20th head coach in franchise history.

The Capitals hired Laviolette ahead of the 2020-21 campaign to replace Todd Reirden, who coached the franchise from 2018 to 2020 after Barry Trotz resigned following the team's 2018 Stanley Cup championship.

In his three seasons with Laviolette at the helm, the Capitals went 115-78-27 and made the playoffs twice, losing in the first round in back-to-back seasons before missing the postseason this year.

The Capitals finished the 2022-23 season sixth in the Metropolitan Division with a 35-37-10 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign. It was also the first time since 2006-07 that the team finished with a losing record.

Significant injuries to key players such as John Carlson, Nicklas Bäckström and Tom Wilson were partially to blame for Washington's disappointing season, and the lack of organizational depth to replace those players contributed to the team's downfall.

As long as Alexander Ovechkin is on the roster, the Capitals are not going to enter a rebuild or even consider doing so. That said, they'll need a head coach they feel can help get them back to the Stanley Cup Final in the near future.

As for Laviolette, he has extensive coaching experience, having coached the Nashville Predators, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders before joining the Capitals.

If he doesn't find a head coaching job immediately, he'll at least likely be among the candidates for any open positions this summer.