Hockey in D.C. feels different right now. You can sense it in the air at Capital One Arena. It isn’t just about the "Great Eight" chasing history anymore—though, let’s be honest, that’s always the lead story. It’s about how Spencer Carbery has stitched together a Washington Capitals starting lineup that looks, on paper, like a jigsaw puzzle with a few missing pieces, yet somehow keeps winning.
Most people look at the roster and see a 40-year-old captain and a bunch of "new guys." But they’re missing the point. This isn't a team in decline; it's a team in transition that refused to bottom out.
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The Top Six: A Strange Kind of Magic
Right now, the top line is basically a "passing of the torch" in real-time. You’ve got Alex Ovechkin on the left, Dylan Strome in the middle, and the rookie Ryan Leonard on the right. It’s wild to watch. Leonard plays with this gritty, North-South energy that seems to give Ovechkin more room to breathe.
Ovechkin isn't moving like he did in 2018. We know that. But he’s still 187 unique goalies deep into his career record and sitting at 917 career goals as of mid-January 2026. He just needs that one sliver of ice. Strome, who’s basically become the most underrated center in the Metropolitan Division, is the glue. He’s putting up points at a pace that makes his $5 million AAV look like a total steal.
Then you look at the second line. Usually, this is where things get dicey with injuries. Tom Wilson has been battling a nagging lower-body issue, sitting out a few games recently. When he’s in, he’s a force. When he’s out, Carbery has been shuffling guys like Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael up the depth chart. Protas is 6'6" and 250 pounds—the guy is a literal mountain. Watching him protect the puck while McMichael uses that high-end speed creates a matchup nightmare for teams that don't have heavy defensive pairings.
The Missing Piece: Pierre-Luc Dubois
Honestly, the biggest "what if" right now is Pierre-Luc Dubois. He’s been out since early November following abdominal surgery. The 3-to-4-month recovery timeline means we might not see him back at 100% until the playoff push in late February or March. It’s a bummer because he was starting to find his rhythm before the injury. Without him, the center depth is stretched thin, forcing kids like Hendrix Lapierre into bigger minutes than maybe they’re ready for.
The Blue Line and the Crease
If the forwards are the flash, the defense is the grit. John Carlson is 36 and still playing nearly 24 minutes a night. Is he a bit slower? Yeah, maybe. But his vision on the power play is still elite.
The real story on the back end is the pairing of Jakob Chychrun and Matt Roy. Chychrun had a brief scare with an illness recently but he’s back now. He’s a shooter. He’s already got 17 goals this season, which is insane for a defenseman. Pairing him with a "stay-at-home" guy like Roy allows Chychrun to pinch without the fans having a collective heart attack every time the puck turns over.
Then there's the goalie situation.
- Logan Thompson has taken the starter's job and run with it.
- He’s rocking a .915 save percentage.
- Charlie Lindgren is a solid backup, but Thompson has that "it" factor right now.
Thompson was named to Team Canada for the 2026 Olympics for a reason. He’s calm. He doesn’t over-commit. In a league where goaltending is increasingly volatile, having a guy who stops the shots he’s supposed to stop is a luxury.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Lineup
People think the Caps are just "Ovechkin and friends." They’re not. They’re a top-ten team in both Goals For and Goals Against. They’re playing a structured, puck-pursuit game that Spencer Carbery has drilled into them since training camp.
The underlying stats (the nerdy stuff like xGF%) show they aren't just getting lucky. They’re outshooting opponents at 5-on-5. The power play is a bit of a sore spot—hovering around 15.7%—but when you have Ovechkin at the left circle, you’re always one adjustment away from a heater.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re heading down to 7th and F Street or tuning in on Monumental Sports Network, watch the third line. Nic Dowd is still the best fourth-line center in hockey, but he's often playing up on the third line with Anthony Beauvillier and Brett Leason.
These are the "dirty" minutes. They win faceoffs, they kill penalties, and they kill the opponent's momentum. If the Capitals are going to stay in the first Wild Card spot (or climb higher), it’s going to be because of this depth.
Keep an eye on the injury report. Specifically:
- Tom Wilson’s status: Is he a "full go" at morning skate? If he stays on for extra work, he’s probably not playing.
- The 900-goal mark: Ovi is closing in. Every power play is an "I was there" moment.
- Jakob Chychrun’s minutes: If he’s over 22 minutes, the Caps are likely leading.
The trade deadline is March 6. GM Chris Patrick has already said he’s looking for help. This lineup is good, but it’s one or two injuries away from a collapse. They need another middle-six winger or a veteran defenseman to take some of the load off Carlson.
Whether they make a move or not, this current group has proven they belong in the conversation. They aren't the young, fast Cup winners of 2018, but they’re a smart, heavy team that knows how to grind out 3-2 wins in January. That counts for a lot when the weather gets cold and the games get tight.
Check the daily line rushes about two hours before puck drop. With Carbery, a "morning skate" doesn't always tell the whole story, so wait for the goalie to lead the team onto the ice for warmups to be 100% sure who's starting between the pipes.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Track the Home Stand: The Capitals are in the middle of a critical stretch at Capital One Arena; watch how the "Frank-Strome-Ovechkin" line handles top-tier defensive pairs from visiting teams.
- Monitor the Power Play: If the percentage doesn't climb above 18% by February, expect a coaching tweak or a trade target specifically for the man advantage.
- Waiver Wire Watch: In fantasy leagues, Ethen Frank is the guy to grab if he's still available—his recent scoring streak isn't a fluke.