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Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Washington Capitals. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Highs and Lows of the Capitals’ Season So Far

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Hayley Paljug | Last updated Nov 14, 2025 4:04 PM ET

The Washington Capitals have been unable to find consistent success through the first month and change of the 2025-26 season. However, with an even .500 record, not all hope is lost. There are some bright spots, along with areas of improvement. While they currently sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, it’s early still, and head coach Spencer Carbery remains hopeful.

High: Even-Strength Play

Washington is second in the league for expected goals and actual goals. Peter Hassett of Capitals blog Russian Machine Never Breaks describes the team’s performance, saying, “the five-on-five Caps keep company with the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes” regarding their ability to control the puck and create offensive chances. At even strength, the Capitals control the puck more and do more on offense than their opponents, averaging 29.9 shots per game, fifth in the league.

Low: Special Teams

Perhaps the paramount problem for the Capitals this season is their struggling special teams. The team that plays at five-on-five versus the team that plays on the penalty kill and power play feels like two different hockey clubs entirely. They are 29th and 28th on the power play and penalty kill, respectively.

Hassett described the special-teams Capitals as “near the St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets.” The continued trend of taking penalties and allowing opponents to score on their man advantages has been costing the Capitals far too many games. If they are unable to defend on the penalty kill and score on the power play, they will miss the playoffs in what could be Alex Ovechkin’s final season in the league.

With American Thanksgiving being one of the first benchmarks to assess how a team is doing, the Capitals will need to hone in and sharpen up their special teams quickly if they intend to be a real playoff contender.

High: Tom Wilson’s Season Performance

One player who has been finding his groove and producing is Tom Wilson. He is the team’s leader in goals (nine) and points (17), and has spent the fourth-most time on ice, 19:21, behind defensemen John Carlson, Jakob Chychrun, and Matt Roy.

He also has scored half of the team’s eight power-play goals, and his physical presence is an asset in defensive plays. Wilson wins 45.5% of faceoffs and is critical in goal-scoring beyond just his own tallies, having a plus-5 rating. He has taken 37 shots so far this season and converted 24.3% of those, second only to Brandon Duhame, who has three goals.

He is the only player who has lived up to last season’s performance and kept that momentum going. If other high scorers like Ovechkin, Aliaksei Protas, and Connor McMichael can follow suit, the Capitals could be in good shape.

Low: The Absence of Pierre-Luc Dubois

Pierre-Luc Dubois, a key component of the Capitals’ middle-six lineup, underwent abdominal and adductor surgery and will miss three to four months of play. Since his injury on Oct. 31, the team has gone 1-2-1, so clearly his presence is missed.

Though his season so far has been riddled with injuries, last season he played all 82 games and recorded a career-high 66 points (20 goals, 46 assists). He was a staple of the Capitals’ second and third lines, spending an average of 17:18 on ice last season.

Obviously, there has been some line shuffling to make up for the absence of such a reliable forward. McMichael has been the primary candidate to take Dubois’ place in the lineup, though Justin Sourdif and Hendrix Lapierre have been given more ice time as well.

This middle-six sans Dubois is not producing much offense. Its regular lineup of Wilson, McMichael, Protas, Lapierre, Sourdif, and Ryan Leonard have produced just 43 points so far this season, with 17 of those coming from Wilson.

Clearly, there is some work to be done, and the Capitals will need to find a consistent second-line center to cover Dubois. It could be McMichael, Lapierre, or Sourdif; however, the Capitals could also begin looking to the waiver wire.

High: Spencer Carbery Remains Hopeful

While some fans have begun to question this Capitals team and its lack of success, Carbery remains hopeful that things will change for the better. The mark of a good head coach is to be able to encourage your team through failure, not just praise them when they are successful, and Carbery is one of the best in that regard.

He said recently to the media, “Over time, things will shift, and hopefully, pucks will start to go in, and we’ll be rewarded, and we’ll get a few bounces, and special teams will flip and even itself out, and our shooting percentage will even itself out.”

After the team’s recent loss to the Florida Panthers, Carbery indicated that all they can do is keep trying, and that his process is not going to change. “The process isn’t going to change just because we’re not scoring goals. Like, that’s just not how it works. We’re going to continue to do things because eventually, you know, pucks should go in and players will get here that can shoot the puck in the net, and that’s all you can trust in.”

The coach believes the team can and will get back to its previous level of success. A player will find prove worthy of covering for Dubois, special teams will shape up, and pucks will start to make their way to the back of the net.

Overall, the Capitals have a long way to go if they are to improve their .500 mark and have a chance at reaching the playoffs, but now is no time to give up hope. They will be on the hunt for much-needed wins in a three-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, and Edmonton Oilers in the coming days.