Caps Take on B's in First Exhibition Tilt

September 26 vs. Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena
Time: 5 p.m.
TV:NBCSW
Radio:Capitals Radio 24/7, 106.7 FAN
Boston Bruins (0-0-0)
Washington Capitals (0-0-0)

The Caps open up their six-pack of autumn exhibition tune-ups for the 2021-22 season on Sunday afternoon against the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena. Washington's playoff ride ended at the hands of the Bruins on May 23 when the B's completed a five-game series win over the Capitals.
Ahead of last season's truncated 56-game schedule, there were no preseason games for any of the NHL's clubs. Training camp was roughly half its usual length, and teams went right into the season without the benefit of any exhibition games. This time around, the Caps will play three home and three road preseason tilts leading up to their opening night date with the New York Rangers on Oct. 13 in the District.
Sunday's contest against the Bruins comes after three days of on-ice activity at training camp. Washington will be using these six games to get a good look at some of its young prospects, but also to get the veterans going once again with a full 82-game regular season slate looming on the horizon.

NHL rules state that teams must dress a minimum of eight "veterans" for each preseason game, but the League's definition of a "veteran" is quite generous at this time of year. Any forward or defenseman who played in 30 or more NHL games in the previous season qualifies, as does any goaltender who dressed for 50 or more or played in 30 or more games in the previous season.
Additionally, a first-round draft choice from the most recent NHL Draft qualifies as a "vet" for the purposes of preseason roster building, as does any player with 100 or more career games. These standards include playoff games.
For this autumn, those numbers have been prorated to last season' 56-game slate, so players who played in 20 or more games and goalies who dressed for 34 or more games will qualify as vets during the 2021 preseason.
Washington's lineup for Sunday's exhibition opener will include several young hopefuls who are battling for opening night roster berths during this training camp. Twenty-year-old forward Connor McMichael is expected to man the middle of Washington's second line on Sunday, and 21-year-old blueliner Martin Fehervary is slated to skate the left side of the Caps' top defensive pairing against the Bruins.

McMichael was Washington's first-round choice (25th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft, and he made his NHL debut on Jan. 24 of this year in a game against Buffalo. Fehervary was the Caps' second-round choice (46th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft, and he made Washington's opening night roster at the outset of the 2019-20 season, getting into six games with the Caps during that campaign.
Both players are among the Caps' top prospects, as is 2020 first-rounder (22nd overall) Hendrix Lapierre, who is also expected to see action on Sunday for the Capitals. Attending his first NHL training camp, the 19-year-old Lapierre will be getting his first taste of exhibition action at this level.
Because of the pandemic, McMichael was able to play for AHL Hershey as a 19-year-old last season. Normally, CHL players can only play in the AHL once they reach their 20-year-old season.
"I was fortunate enough to get a game [with the Caps] last year, and then obviously able to play in Hershey a year earlier," says McMichael. "I think it benefited me a lot, and it's made me feel more comfortable in this camp with the same goal of trying to crack the lineup."
Washington has essentially its same group of forwards from last season, which will make cracking the lineup a tall task. But top six center Nicklas Backstrom is not available to the Caps at the outset of camp; the smooth Swedish pivot is listed as week-to-week as he continues to rehab an ailing hip. It's possible that his roster spot will be temporarily available at the start of the season, and McMichael is among a handful of players with a chance to land that opening. He led the Bears with 14 goals and 27 points, and he led the AHL with eight game-winning tallies.
"I think it was a weird year," says McMichael. "But for me, it was going into pro hockey a year early and learning all of the Caps' systems earlier than everyone else and just being able to make that jump quicker. Last year, we had a really good team - which made it a lot easier for me - and a great coaching staff. I was able to learn all the systems and gain some confidence playing pro hockey a year early."
Fehervary was able to make his NHL debut days before his 20th birthday; becoming one of only a handful of defensemen to suit up for the Capitals as a teenager. In two seasons with Hershey, he has totaled seven goals, 31 points, 61 PIM and a plus-25 in 80 regular season AHL contests.

With the offseason departures of left-handed defensemen Zdeno Chara and Brenden Dillon, the Caps have some openings on the portside of their NHL depth chart, but Fehervary will have to earn his way into one of those slots.
"I'm really happy to be back here in Washington," says Fehervary. "I came in good shape, I had a good summer and I just try to work hard every day and prove that I should have a place in Washington."
Fehervary will turn 22 on Oct. 6. He is slated to be partnered with veteran righty Justin Schultz, who is starting his second season with the Capitals.
"I think the game situations are really important for young defensemen," says Caps coach Peter Laviolette. "It's easy to kind of move through these drills out here. Marty has a good skill level and he is a really good skater, so it's easy to look good. But he is going to get game situations, and inside of those situations you're looking for reads and decision-making and how he handles bigger bodies and the opposition, and how he attacks offensively against another team's defense in the NHL."