September 22 vs. Philadelphia Flyers at Capital One Arena
Time: 3 p.m.
TV: MNMT
Radio: Team 980, Capitals Radio 24/7
Philadelphia Flyers (0-0-0)
Washington Capitals (0-0-0)
Just over 72 hours after breaking the seal on training camp 2024, the Caps open up their six-game preseason slate with a Sunday matinee match against Metropolitan Division rival Philadelphia. Sunday’s preseason opener should afford the Caps and their fans a look at a trio of freshly picked draft choices from the 2024 NHL Draft in Vegas.
First-round (17th overall) right wing Terik Parascak is expected to see his first NHL preseason action on Sunday against the Flyers, as are second-round (52nd overall) defenseman Leon Muggli and third-round (90th overall) center Eriks Mateiko.
“That would be unbelievable,” says Parascak of pulling on a sweater for an NHL exhibition game. “Just dreaming of being in an NHL rink and putting on an NHL jersey, that would be super special if I got that opportunity.”
Parascak piled up 43 goals and 105 points in his age 17 draft season with Prince George of the WHL, and he celebrated his 18th birthday a month before hearing his name called by the Capitals at Sphere in Vegas this past summer. He got the lay of the land here in July when he reported for summer development camp, and he spent last weekend in Annapolis for Washington’s annual rookie camp.
On Sunday, the whirlwind continues when he takes the ice for his first taste of NHL preseason action.
“For Terik, ” begins Caps’ coach Spencer Carbery, “as such a young first-round draft pick having played just the one year in junior, I think this camp for him and exhibition game to get in and play is about really feeling and getting a good sense of, ‘Okay, this is what the NHL feels like, and this is an NHL player, this is how hard they pass the puck, this is how heavy they are on their stick. So that – the experience part – I think is first and foremost for Terik.
“And then, try to find opportunities to show what he is capable of doing. What is he going to do at the NHL level? And then see if there are a couple of opportunities for him to be able to show that and stick out in those situations.”
Muggli might prove to be a bit more ready for prime time; the Swiss defenseman played in the men’s pro league in his native Switzerland last season, more than holding his own. He played in 42 regular season games and all 11 playoff contests for Zug EV, drawing enough attention to hear his name called in the second round of the 2024 Draft.
“I think it helped me a bit,” says Muggli of his impressive ’23-24 season. “I know how to play against heavier, stronger guys in board battles, and what I have to do there to maybe win a puck or finish him. So that helped, yeah.”
Whether they’re teenagers getting their first taste of the NHL in a preseason tilt, or veterans seeking to shake off some rust and go about their business of preparing for another long and grueling NHL season, each of the 20 players dressed for Sunday’s game will be taking the ice after just three days’ worth of training camp activity.
Washington made seven significant offseason additions to its roster over the summer, but we’re expecting to see just one of that group suiting up for the first time, and that’s right wing Taylor Raddysh, signed as an unrestricted free agent from Chicago on July 1. Raddysh is likely penciled in on the right side of Washington’s fourth line for the upcoming season; he’s been skating on a line with Nic Dowd and fellow newcomer Brandon Duhaime early in camp. But neither Dowd nor Duhaime is expected to play on Sunday.
As far as expectations for the opener, Carbery essentially wants to see his players be who they are as players.
“A couple of things,” he says. “Just implement a little bit of what we’ve talked about, so seeing some of the structure stuff, seeing what guys it comes naturally to and who are able to incorporate it into their game right away. Competitiveness is an easy one, pace to our game is another one that I’ll talk about.
“And then after that, it’s important because you can sometimes get into these moments as a young player – whether it’s your first exhibition game or you’ve played two or three – where you become paralyzed by [thinking], ‘Am I in the right spot? Am I doing the right thing with my linemates?’ And that, I don’t want.
“Each one of these guys is here for a reason and competing for a spot on our team for a reason, and they all have different skill sets and what they do at an elite level. So any opportunity that they have to show that skill set, I want them to take advantage of it, whether they’re a physical player and you go in as F1 [first forward into the offensive zone] and you get an opportunity to finish a check, or whether you’re a creative, pass-first guy, whether you’re a puck retriever, whether you’re a guy that lives at the net front, I want to see you be able to do those things. And when those opportunities come up during the game, take advantage of those opportunities.”
Philadelphia was a surprise team in both the Metro Division and the NHL last season, and for much of the campaign, the Flyers looked to be a group that could nail down a wild card spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But Philly faded late, winning just nine of its last 28 games (9-14-5) to miss the dance for the fourth straight season.
The Flyers had an extremely quiet offseason as far as free agency and trades are concerned, but they’re rightfully excited to be adding 2023 first-rounder Matvei Michkov to their mix in 2024-25. The seventh player chosen overall in 2023, Michkov is likely to be in the Philly lineup for Sunday’s preseason opener. As an 18-year-old in Russia’s KHL last season, Michkov finished second on his team in scoring; he totaled 19 goals and 41 points in 47 games.
