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The Washington Capitals lost Game 5 to the Carolina Hurricanes and now turn their focus to the offseason. With players such as Andrew Mangiapane, Anthony Beauvillier, and Lars Eller all scheduled to become free agents, the Capitals have plenty of decisions to make in the offseason.
After missing the playoffs in the 2022-23 season, breaking a long playoff streak that saw the Capitals win a Stanley Cup back in 2018, the expectations for the Capitals were low heading into the next season. Still, they exceeded expectations, making the playoffs in 2023-24, but were swept by the Rangers in the first round.
The 2024-25 season was another step forward as Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's goals record, but they exceeded expectations again, finishing the year as the top team in the Eastern Conference.
According to CapWages, Washington will have $12 million of cap space to work with this offseason. That is after they re-signed Jakob Cyccrum, Logan Thompson, and Nic Dowd. Ovechkin will also return next season, as will fellow top forwards Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Aliaksei Protas.
Still, the Capitals will be looking to add depth this offseason in hopes of making another run to the Stanley Cup in what could be Ovechkin's last season in 2025-26. Here are three predictions as to how Washington could approach the offseason.
The Capitals re-sign Anthony Beauvillier
Anthony Beauvillier often played on the top line with Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin this year. Washington traded for Beauvillier at the trade deadline, bringing him in from Pittsburgh. In his 18 regular-season games with Washington, Anthony Beauvillier scored two goals and added three assists. In the playoffs, he scored two goals and added four assists.
At age 27, Beauvillier is also a good bridge for the Capitals. With Ovechkin and much of the championship core getting older, the Capitals will be looking to have their your players continue to set up. This includes Protas, Connor McMichael, and Ryan Leonard, all players under age 25.
Further, Beauvillier may be cheap to keep around. Last offseason, he was content signing a one-year deal for just $1.25 million. Which large cap hits from Ovechkin, Pierre-Luc Dubois, John Carlson, and Jakob Chychrun, the Capitals need quality players at a low cost. The Capitals have already shown their desire to keep their core together, resigning Chychrun and Logan Thompson during the season, and Beauvillier would be another key part of that.
The Capitals sign Marcus Johansson
Lars Eller, who was on the Capitals' Stanley Cup-winning team, returned to Washington this year via a trade with the Penguins. Now the third-line forward is a free agent once again. If he does not re-sign in Washington, there is another former Capital who could be in play to fill that void.
Marcus Johansson could find his way back to the Capitals this offseason. While Johansson is a winger and not a center like Eller, this is still a solid option to fill depth on the third line if Eller moves on and goes elsewhere.
First, Johansson is the cheaper option of the two, making almost half a million less than Eller last year. If the Capitals can save money and keep production, it will be a smart move. Johansson could also take a discount to come back to Washington.
He has already left and come back once in his career, and could do it again here. Johansson was also more productive last year than Eller. A reunion for a third time with Johansson would be a big for the offseason.
The Capitals let Andrew Mangiapane walk
Andrew Mangiapane had a solid first season in Washington, scoring 14 goals and adding 14 assists. Still, he did not fully live up to expectations when the Capitals acquired him from the Flames. His 18 points were the lowest he had since the 2018-19 season, when he had just 13 points in 44 games.
Still, even in the COVID-shortened season, Mangiapane was more productive than he was in 2024-25. He was not the same level of defensive presence this year as well. This is the first time in 2017-18 that Mangiapane did not have a positive plus/minus rating.
Despite the down year, Mangiapane has clearly shown himself to be a middle-six forward in the NHL. Still, his cost could be a major issue that would make the Capitals want to let him go. This past year, Mangiapane made $5.8 million, fourth among Capitals forwards. It was also more than Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas, both of whom had better production than Magiapane.
Letting Magiapane go would open up enough money to bring back both Beauvillier and Taylor Raddish, while also looking for another depth piece for the third line.
