3 Takeaways From Capitals’ 5-2 Preseason Win Over Flyers

Ryan Chesley collected three points as the Washington Capitals defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-2, at Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Monday night. Ryan Leonard and Jonny Brodzinski were the other offensive stars in Washington’s win. After consecutive nights of action on the frozen floor, the Capitals will have a few off days before the Boston Bruins visit Capital One Arena on Friday night for the third of four preseason games on the 2026-27 preseason schedule. 

Ryan Leonard Showcased His Speed Against Philadelphia 

Ryan Leonard was skating like he was shot out of a cannon each and every shift on Monday evening. The 21-year-old forward scored once, took five shots, finished with a plus-2 plus/minus rating, and he was a handful for a weakened Philadelphia defense to contain. The Flyers didn’t have many NHL regulars on defense, with David Jiricek, Simon Benoit, and Oliver Bonk highlighting the backups for Philly in their opening preseason contest. 

Still, these are defenders the Flyers are hoping can skate in their bottom-six defensive pairing. Therefore, there is a better-than-average chance they will be battling a player like Leonard during the upcoming season, given the amount of forward depth available to head coach Spencer Carbery in his lineup. It is quite promising to see Leonard showcase an extra step against NHL-caliber defenders, even if it is the opening days of the league’s preseason. 

Leonard signed a massive eight-year contract extension that begins next fall. He scored 20 goals in his rookie season and will be looking to avoid the dreaded “sophomore slump” in Washington this fall. If the young skater can continue to produce 20-goal campaigns (or more), that $10.5 average annual value (AAV) on his contract starts to look like a very savvy move for general manager Chris Patrick. 

Jonny Brodzinski Makes a Lineup-Worthy Statement 

Brodzinski has been a member of the Metropolitan Division with the New York Rangers since the 2020-21 season. The 33-year-old center scored 27 goals and tallied 59 points in 207 games for the Blueshirts over the last six seasons. Now, the veteran forward is wearing a new red, white, and blue configuration for the upcoming season after joining Washington on a one-year, $850K contract for the 2026-27 season.

The six-foot, 206-pound pivot showcased his electric shot on several occasions on Monday night, finishing with a perfect shooting percentage with two goals on two credited shots. While he is not a player the Capitals will rely on for offense, a bottom-six forward’s ability to put the puck in the back of the net is an extremely valuable skill. Brodzinski has scored 33 goals on 385 shot attempts for an 8.6% shot percentage during a decade-long career in the NHL.

Brodzinski has an uphill climb over the next week to steal away a roster spot from a player like Anthony Beauvillier, Ethen Frank, or Ivan Miroshnichenko. However, if the veteran forward is able to usurp a position in the bottom of the lineup, he could become a very important player for the Capitals next season. 

Ryan Chesley Impresses with 3 Apples

While the majority of attention this offseason was being paid to another highly-prized defensive prospect (Cole Hutson), Chesley impressed with three assists in his first preseason action. The 22-year-old defender tallied an assist on three straight Washington goals. Chesley recorded the primary assist on Leonard’s late first-period score, the secondary assist on Dylan Strome’s late second-period tally, and the secondary assist on Brodzinski’s second goal celebration of the evening in the third period. 

In addition to the defense, Chesley showcased impressive speed and quickness from his blueline position against Philadelphia. Much like Brodzinksi, Chesley faces an uphill battle to claim a roster spot with several veteran NHL options ahead of him on the depth chart, including newcomer Vincent Desharnais, Justin Holl, and Dylan McIlrath. Despite his impressive showing on Monday night, it very much looks like a sophomore season in Hershey for the young defender as he continues to improve his craft while waiting patiently for a consistent opportunity in Washington’s NHL lineup. 

After back-to-back nights with preseason action on the schedule, Head coach Spencer Carbery and his coaching staff will now get the opportunity to evaluate players in a practice setting over the next couple of days. Washington doesn’t return to the ice until the end of the week, which should give the Capitals coaching group plenty of time to evaluate their needs for the upcoming season.  While Leondard is certainly a lock to make the group out of camp, Brodzinski and Chesley took major strides to get noticed given their performances against the Flyers in last night’s win.