Checking In on the Washington Capitals’ Newcomers

He played his 500th career game in Washington and is tied for third in overall goals (five, tied with Leonard). He has proven to be a stellar asset to the forward core and a critical piece of the team’s success so far this season.

Alex Tuch

Tuch is far and away the best pickup from the offseason. He is an offensive machine, scoring a team-leading 11 goals in 15 games and ranking second in points. He is the fourth player in franchise history to score at this pace, joining Ovechkin, Dino Ciccarelli, and Guy Charron.

He averages 19:14 on ice each game and has an impressive five game-winning goals. He has also won 50% of his faceoffs and has proven himself a master of the game. Tuch was expected to be a huge asset to the Capitals from the start, but he has exceeded expectations and become the team’s best player.

Vincent Desharnais

Desharnais was off to an impressive start through his first nine games. He tallied three assists and averaged 19:25 on ice, fourth on the team. At 6-foot-7, his size was a huge asset, and he laid 22 hits and blocked 14 shots. Unfortunately, he underwent an emergency appendectomy on Oct. 23 and will be out for four to six weeks. He should return sometime between late November and early December.

Jack St. Ivany

St. Ivany was claimed off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets to fill the gap left by Desharnais. The 27-year-old is already on track for a career-high performance. He has five points (one goal, four assists) in as many games and was the first franchise player to record multiple assists in each of their first two games.

He scored his first career goal with the team in their most recent game against the Florida Panthers. He has a plus-3 rating and averages 14:20 on ice. Paired alongside Cole Hutson, the two have found great success both defensively and offensively. Since being claimed off waivers, St. Ivany has assisted on both of Hutson’s goals. He has been a solid defenseman and a fantastic waiver claim from general manager Chris Patrick.

Overall, the Capitals’ front office has proven trustworthy in its pickups and roster moves. While the team hasn’t seen as much success as they hoped, they have a 9-6-0 record, 18 points, and are fourth in the Metropolitan Division. Plenty of the season remains, and they have the building blocks for strong success and, hopefully, a deep playoff run.