Checking In on the Washington Capitals’ Newcomers

The Washington Capitals made a handful of roster moves before the season, reshaping their squad in hopes of making the playoffs in Alex Ovechkin’s final NHL season. They added forwards Boone Jenner, Jordan Kyrou, and Alex Tuch, as well as defenseman Vincent Desharnais. Recently, they claimed Jack St. Ivany off waivers as well.

These five have had solid starts and have proven themselves as valuable parts of the roster and keys to the team’s success. In fact, the three new forwards are the team’s top scorers. Let’s take a look at each of their seasons and how they’ve fit into Washington through the first month of play.

Boone Jenner

Jenner is a master of the game’s little details. While he may not appear on the scoresheet nightly, his presence improves the team overall. The 33-year-old has averaged 15:47 on ice this season, scoring six goals and tallying one assist through 15 games. He ranks second on the team in goals, behind Tuch.

He is also a master at the faceoff dot. He has won 55.2% of his faceoffs, his highest win percentage since the 2017-18 season. He has been a reliable part of the team’s bottom six alongside Aliaksei Protas, Tom Wilson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Justin Sourdif, Ryan Leonard, and others.

Jordan Kyrou

Kyrou has an impressive 14 points in 15 games. He has alternated between the second and third lines, most recently finding success on the second line alongside Tuch and Dylan Strome. Per Capitals Public Relations, he has totaled a team-high 12 points in his last eight games. He also leads the team in power-play points (five) and is tied for first in overall points (14, tied with Dylan Strome).

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.