Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson began on-ice recovery today as he nears a return from an upper-body injury, Emily Kaplan of ESPN said on today’s broadcast of Washington’s loss in Columbus (via Tom Gulitti of NHL.com). He skated today along with the NHL’s new all-time goals leader, Alex Ovechkin, who stayed home to rest with the Caps’ place atop the Eastern Conference clinched. The presumptive Vezina Trophy finalist has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury and remains questionable for the beginning of Washington’s first-round playoff series against whichever team ends up in the second wild-card spot. Backup Charlie Lindgren hasn’t been particularly inspiring in his absence, posting a .866 SV% since taking over for Thompson when the latter left an April 2 loss to the Hurricanes. Lindgren was not in the crease today for the Caps’ 7-0 defeat; third-stringer Hunter Shepard was. Winger Aliaksei Protas is also expected to skate Monday for the first time since sustaining a laceration from a skate on his left foot on April 4, Kaplan said. “There is some concern about how the location of the skate cut (under skate tongue) will impact the rest of Protas’ foot, but they’re hopeful he’ll be ready for the start of the playoffs,” Gulitti relayed. The 24-year-old remains an invaluable part of the Caps’ league-best offense, erupting for a career-best 30-36–66 scoring line in 76 showings.
Capitals Rumors
Capitals Sign Patrick Thomas To Entry-Level Contract
The Washington Capitals have signed forward Patrick Thomas to a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. The contract is slated to begin next season.
The team’s fourth round selection in the 2023 draft, Thomas, 20, spent the last four seasons in the OHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs. This past season he served as team captain and lit up the stat sheets to the tune of 27 goals and 104 points in 66 games. His 104 points placed him fifth in league scoring, while his 77 assists placed first overall. The six-foot, 178-pound forward finishes his OHL career averaging exactly a point-per-game (253/253). Thomas, a left-shooting center, added 28 points in 36-career playoff contests in the OHL, including seven points this season. He finishes his time with the Bulldogs with a plus-61 rating (including playoffs).
Thomas’ contract carries an average annual value of $878,333 at the NHL level and $82,500 in the AHL. It will be interesting to see where Thomas starts the 2025-26 season. If he builds upon his success from his last year in junior hockey and perform well during training camp, he could make a push for a spot in Washington. However, a start in the AHL seems like a logical landing spot to start his professional career.
Lauded for his high hockey IQ and passing abilities, Thomas joins former Boston College forward and fellow Caps prospect Ryan Leonard in recently signing with the team. Selected eighth overall by Washington in 2023, Leonard spent the last two seasons in the NCAA before agreeing to a three-year, entry-level deal with Washington on March 31. However, Leonard, also 20, has already started his career in the NHL, appearing in four games and registering his first career goal since signing his deal just nine days ago.
Capitals’ Aliaksei Protas Out Week-To-Week
While Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals are still on cloud nine, not all news was good news today for the team. Forward Aliaksei Protas will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, per a team announcement. Protas was injured in Friday night’s contest against the Chicago Blackhawks after sustaining a cut to his foot on a collision in front of the net.
The loss of the 6’6, 225-pound Protas is a tough blow for the top-seeded Capitals as they look ahead to the playoffs. The 24-year-old has burst onto the scene this season, shattering his previous career-highs in goals, assists, points, plus/minus rating, and shooting percentage. On the season, he has recorded 30 goals, 66 points, and a plus-40 rating, all while averaging just 16:27 of ice time per game. What’s more, he’s accomplished all these lofty totals while only registering one point on the power play. His 60 even-strength points tie him with Mitch Marner for eighth place in the NHL this season. Prior to this season, Protas recorded 53 career points in 169 games, and his evolution has played a large factor in the team’s success.
With Protas on the shelf, head coach Spencer Carbery said prior to today’s afternoon matchup with the Islanders that recently acquired Anthony Beauvillier would return to the lineup. Sent over to the Capitals in a trade-deadline deal with the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, Beauvillier has scored 15 goals in 75 games on the season, including two with Washington in 12 games. The 27-year-old has registered 131 goals and 271 points in 625 career games, providing the Capitals with a solid depth piece as they head into the playoffs. He has added 16 goals and 31 points in 55 career postseason contests. Carbery noted how well the veteran has fit into the culture of the organization, adding that Beauvillier “complements the locker room.” He added that Beauvillier is a bit of a “Swiss army knife” that can be used up and down the lineup. After sitting out as a healthy scratch, Beauvillier was slotted on the fourth line alongside Brandon Duhaime and Nic Dowd during today’s 4-1 loss to the Islanders, receiving 17 shifts and 12:49 of ice time.
Alex Ovechkin Breaks All-Time Goals Record
With his 895th career goal today against the New York Islanders, Alex Ovechkin has surpassed Wayne Gretzky and is now the NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer. It was Ovechkin’s first goal against Islanders star goalie Ilya Sorokin, coming on Ovechkin’s first shot of Washington’s first power-play. In classic fashion, he beat Sorokin with a hard wrist-shot from the tops of the circles.
So ends ’The Gr8 Chase,’ a storyline most thought would never come to fruition after Gretzky retired 26 years ago. Many of his records are still considered and will likely stand as unbreakable. Still, Ovechkin’s excellence as a pure goal-scorer has him passing The Great One for one of the league’s most prestigious stat-based records.
While Ovechkin’s chances of breaking the record truly became realistic a couple of years ago after a resurgent 50-goal campaign in 2021-22, it’s his performance this season that will stand out. Now 39 years old, Ovechkin’s scoring goals at his highest rate per game this season since 2019-20. He’s managed to do so despite missing over a month with a fractured left fibula earlier in the year – by far the most extended injury-related absence of his incredibly durable 20-year career.
Of course, his success has done more than serve as a nice story for Washington this season. He’s helped the Caps’ team offense along to a league-best 3.60 goals per game, positioning them to finish atop the Eastern Conference after barely squeaking into the postseason picture last year with the league’s 28th-ranked offense.
Ovechkin’s career resume needs no introduction. He holds the record for most 30-goal (19) and 40-goal (13) seasons and is tied with Gretzky and Mike Bossy with nine 50-goal campaigns, a record his injury will prevent him from taking outright. He’s won the Richard Trophy as the league’s leading goal-scorer nine times and the Hart Trophy on three occasions. The 12-time All-Star won his only Stanley Cup championship (to date) with Washington in 2018 and took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after scoring a league-leading 15 goals in 24 games.
The all-time goals record is now the fourth offensive record Ovechkin holds. He’s also the all-time leader in power-play goals (323), game-winning goals (135), and shots on goal (6,844). It’s also not the only notable Gretzky record to fall this season. Penguins captain and longtime rival Sidney Crosby has clinched a 20th straight point-per-game season in 2024-25, breaking Gretzky’s record of 19.
Photo courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images.
Capitals Reassign Leon Muggli To AHL
- The Washington Capitals have re-assigned defender Leon Muggli of the Swiss National League to their AHL affiliate, per a team announcement. Muggli, the team’s 2024 second round selection, is not expected to play for Hershey tonight or on Sunday. The 18-year-old, left-handed defenseman has registered 11 points in 40 games for the EV Zug. The Switzerland native represented his country at the 2025 World Junior Championship, serving as an alternate captain and recording three assists in five games. Last season, Muffli’s 12 points were the most ever by a defenseman age 17 or younger in Swiss National League history.
Capitals Recall Hunter Shepard
The Capitals have recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard from AHL Hershey, the team announced today. The move comes after No. 1 netminder Logan Thompson left Wednesday’s loss to the Hurricanes with an upper-body injury after the first period and did not return. He’ll presumably miss tonight’s clash with the Blackhawks while Shepard backs up Charlie Lindgren.
With the playoffs just over two weeks away, an injury scare to Washington’s breakout star between the pipes is far from good news. Thompson will almost certainly be a Vezina Trophy finalist in the coming weeks, ranking ninth in the NHL with a 2.49 GAA and .910 SV% while placing second in the league with 26.0 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck. He’s run cold as of late, logging a .780 SV% in his last three outings, but has a remarkable 31-6-6 record on the year and put pen to paper on a six-year, $35.1MM extension in January.
The Caps haven’t issued a timeline for his return and he’s still being evaluated, so there should be more clarity on Thompson’s absence in the coming days. In the interim, the 29-year-old Shepard is an intriguing third-string option for Washington. He made his NHL debut last season, posting a 2-1-1 record with a .894 SV% and 3.19 GAA in four spot starts throughout the campaign. An undrafted free agent signing by Hershey out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth back in 2020, he’s in the back half of the two-year, two-way deal he signed with the Caps in 2023 and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Shepard’s big-league debut came amid one of the more decorated seasons we’ve seen from an AHL netminder in quite some time. He was unquestionably the top goalie in minor hockey in 2023-24, leading the league in GAA (1.76) and SV% (.929) while taking home the league’s Baz Bastien Memorial Award for the top goaltender. Naturally, he was awarded a First All-Star Team nod and helped guide Hershey to its second straight Calder Cup championship.
However, his numbers have cratered in 2024-25. In 37 appearances, Shepard has a 2.81 GAA, .891 SV% and three shutouts. That’s still good for a 22-11-3 record behind a strong skater core in Hershey, but it’s a far cry from the outright dominance he’s shown in previous years – enough to call into question whether Washington will offer him a new deal this offseason. With a playoff berth locked up, he could still see some NHL action down the stretch in order to allow Lindgren and Thompson rest ahead of the postseason, though.
Thompson Exits With Upper-Body Injury
- Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson suffered an upper-body injury in the first period tonight against Carolina, the team announced (Twitter link). While he finished the period, he did not return after that. The 27-year-old has done quite well in his first season with Washington, posting a 31-5-6 record with a 2.43 GAA and a .912 SV% in 42 games heading into tonight’s action, earning himself a six-year, $35.1MM extension back in January. While Washington has a big cushion for top spot in the Metropolitan Division, an extended absence certainly wouldn’t be ideal heading into the playoffs.
Matt Roy Out For Familial Returns
- According to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, Carolina Hurricanes’ captain Jordan Staal is unlikely to suit up tomorrow against the Washington Capitals. Staal is dealing with a lower-body injury, but it’s not considered severe, as Alexander notes he would only be withheld from the lineup for precautionary reasons. Depth forward Tyson Jost will likely take Staal’s place in the lineup should he miss a second consecutive contest.
- Defenseman Dylan McIlrath has already made his presence in the Washington Capitals lineup felt tonight after engaging in a heavyweight bout with Boston Bruins’ forward, Jeffrey Viel. The only reason McIlrath is in the lineup tonight is that Matt Roy is out for familial reasons, as reported by Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post. There’s no timeline for Roy’s return.
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Capitals Re-Sign Spencer Smallman To Two-Year Deal
The Capitals announced they’re keeping depth winger Spencer Smallman around for the next two seasons on a two-way deal. The contract will pay him an NHL salary of $775K and an AHL salary of $380K each season, signifying a slight raise over his current $350K minors salary.
Smallman, 28, has never played an NHL game, yet this will mark his sixth NHL contract. A fifth-round pick by the Hurricanes back in 2015, he signed his entry-level contract with Carolina two years later. He signed consecutive two-way deals after that to extend his stay in the Carolina organization to five years. However, he became a Group VI unrestricted free agent in 2022 and moved to the Avalanche on a two-year, two-way deal that offseason. After failing to land an NHL call-up again, he signed a two-way contract with Washington last summer.
Despite his name, the Prince Edward Island native is of good size, 6’1″ and 200 lbs. He can play both center and right-wing, and while his point totals have never really taken off in the minors, he has solidified himself as a solid top-nine presence after a few years of ECHL assignments to begin his career. His production has taken off somewhat in 2024-25, recording a career-high 9-24–33 scoring line in 55 games with AHL Hershey. He’d put up three straight 10-goal seasons entering this year but has yet to cross the 30-point mark in his professional career.
Smallman won a Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves in 2022 and has 47-81–128 in 299 career AHL games. The chances of him making his NHL debut seem slimmer than ever – he’ll be 30 by the end of this deal – but he’s shown enough in the Capitals’ farm system this season for them to view him as a valuable depth piece to complement their younger prospects.
Poll: Which College Signing Will Make The Biggest Impact In 2024-25?
A contract signing frenzy has broken out across the NHL as the NCAA season draws to a close. Teams are in a mad dash to lock up their star prospects, or sign impactful free agents who slipped through the cracks of the draft. The range of outcomes for these fresh pro recruits will stretch across the hockey world. Some will finish their seasons on amateur try-out contracts in the minor leagues, while others have earned a proud AHL shot, and even more find themselves suddenly thrust into the NHL lineup. The group of signees is headlined by prospects with years of anticipation behind them, joining teams with important games left on the docket. Those big additions lead to the natural next question – which college signing will make the biggest impact through the remainder of the year?
University of Minnesota star Jimmy Snuggerud may be an easy top guess. The
20-year-old right-wing has joined a St. Louis Blues team in the midst of a nine-game win-streak that’s propelled them into a confident playoff spot. St. Louis’ success has come in no small part thanks to rookie Zachary Bolduc, who has 16 goals and 31 points in 65 games this season. He’s been backed by other thriving young forwards, like Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbours. The Blues have leaned into their youth movement by promoting top AHL scorer Dalibor Dvorsky to the top flight, after he potted 20 goals and 43 points in 57 minor league games. Now, St. Louis also adds the snappy shot of Snuggerud after he managed a dazzling 24 goals and 51 points in 40 games of his junior season. Snuggerud doesn’t shy away from physicality and plays a cool, calm, and collected game that should blend well with a Blues offense that’s firing on all cylinders since the calendar turned over.
But St. Louis’ Central Division rivals have a pair of new faces who could find their way to a big splash. The Chicago Blackhawks may be well outside of postseason contention, but they’ve received their own injection of young potential by signing Snuggerud’s UMN teammates, centerman Oliver Moore and defenseman Sam Rinzel. Both players filled top-end roles for the Gophers this season, to dazzling results. Rinzel took home the Big Ten’s ’Defenseman of the Year’ honors this year, after recording 10 goals and 32 points in 40 games of his sophomore season. Moore just narrowly outscored him, potting 12 goals and 33 points in 38 games of his own. The pair have already made their NHL debuts – and while neither scored, they were both instantly noticeable amid a Blackhawks offense that’s slowed down as of late. Chicago is looking towards the future as the season draws to a close, and strong performances out of Moore or Rinzel could go a long way towards cementing their top-of-the-lineup role through next season. It seems Rinzel’s spot may already be locked up – after he recorded over 20 minutes of ice time and four shots on net in his debut.
There’s even more to watch from Gopher alums in the Central Division – with Matthew Wood inking a deal with the Nashville Predators after completing his junior year at UMN. Wood ranked second on the Gophers in scoring behind Snuggerud, with 17 goals and 39 points in 39 games this season. It was an impressive performance for the fresh-transfer – but perhaps even more impressive, it was Wood’s first time not leading his team in scoring since he made his junior hockey debut in the 2020-21 season. He’s a fierce shooter, with the heft and skating to push his way into space, even against top competition. He could quickly find a role on a Predators team that lost Mark Jankowski at the Trade Deadline – and one that’s in desperate need of a booming top prospect to spark hopes.
While the Gophers look to take control of the Central Division, the Metropolitan Division could soon be controlled by Eagles. Boston College stars Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault have inked their first pro deals, signing with the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers respectively. The duo are absolute top prospects who have spent the vast majority of the last four seasons playing on the same line. Leonard is a beefy sniper capable of driving down the boards with speed and getting the puck on net quick. Perreault is a bit more nimble – and uses a strong drive to overwhelm opponents on the forecheck and quick hands to beat them in his paths to the net. Both have done nothing but sparkle with their individual efforts, and seem fully capable of translating at least some of their upside to the NHL right away. Leonard will join the best team in the league, while Perreault will join a squad currently in tight contention for the Eastern Conference’s second Wild Card. Both roles should lead to major roles that could lead the top names to quick scoring.
Plenty of other signings across the hockey world could pay off sooner rather than later. Even if they don’t, the chance to watch top prospects finally donning their NHL jerseys is hard no to be excited over. Who do you think will make the biggest impact? Vote below:
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Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports.