Rehearsals For Departure – At this time next week, the Caps will be in the midst of final preparations for their opening night contest of the 2024-25 season against the New Jersey Devils. But before they depart from the season’s starting blocks next Saturday, they’ve got one final exhibition dress rehearsal late this afternoon against the Boston Bruins.
Deadlines And Commitments – Following a series of roster trims in the past few days, the Caps have whittled their training camp roster down to 26 healthy players. They must further pare the squad to 23 players before the 5 p.m. Monday deadline for the submission of opening night rosters.
In most cases, those decisions may already be made. Sunday is an off day for the Caps, and any players requiring waivers that Washington intends to cut need to be placed on waivers Sunday afternoon, in order for them to clear for reassignment/loan to another by the Monday deadline.
Among the players on the bubble, only one – 19-year-old winger Andrew Cristall – is in the lineup for tonight’s game. After the Caps chose him in the second round (40th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft, Cristall got into one preseason game last fall against Detroit, picking up an assist. Soon after, he was released to his Kelowna (WHL) junior team where he racked up 40 goals and 111 points in 62 games with the Rockets. Cristall tied for fourth in the League with 71 assists, and he was fifth in scoring.
Because his 20th birthday is a few weeks after the Jan. 15 cutoff date, Cristall is ineligible to play in the American Hockey League this season; he must either stay in Washington or be returned to Kelowna for another season. And if he plays 10 or more regular season games for the Caps, the team would burn the first season of his three-year entry level contract.
Today’s game is Cristall’s fourth preseason look with the Caps this fall, and he has picked up a point in each of his previous showings as well, so he has notched a point in all four NHL exhibitions in which he has skated to this point of his young career. On a team that was starved for offense last season, Cristall has looked like a guy who can help in that regard in the near future.
“Whether it’s practice or the games, I’m just trying to go out there and make a good impression to put my best foot forward to give myself the best opportunity to stay here,” says Cristall, who has two goals and an assist in his three preseason games in 2024. “But it’s awesome to be here with all the guys and everyone. It’s a super cool opportunity, and it’s not something I’m taking for granted. It’s been a lot of fun.”
In The Nets – Charlie Lindgren starts Saturday’s preseason finale against the Bruins, his second start and appearance of the exhibition season. The expectation is for him to play the full 60 minutes of the preseason finale.
As he heads into the final season of his three-year contract with the Caps, Lindgren can take pride in setting single-season career bests in wins in each of his first two seasons in Washington. After earning 13 victories in 2022-23, Lindgren nearly doubled that total to 25 last season, and he was a major reason why the Caps were able to land the last of 16 Eastern Conference playoff berths last spring.
Beginning with a splendid performance in a 3-0 shutout win over the Bruins last February 10, Lindgren finished the season on a 16-9-3 run with four shutouts, a 2.65 GAA and a .910 save pct. in 28 appearances (27 starts). He led all NHL goaltenders in games played over that span, tied for the lead in starts and was tied for second in wins.
“I definitely feel more comfortable; familiarity goes a long way,” says Lindgren. “I obviously have a ton of trust and respect for our staff, and all the guys in this locker room. As we all know, we had a pretty good amount of turnover this offseason. But the guys we brought in have really seemed to mesh and gel with the guys that have been here before, and so it makes for a real solid hockey club. And now we’re getting towards the end of the preseason here, so I think everyone is getting ready for the official drop of the puck.”
Lindgren got the opening night starting assignment for Washington last season, the first of his NHL career. There is a decent chance he gets the nod in the opener again this season, a campaign in which he will have a new netminding partner, Logan Thompson. Thompson is also a righty, and it’s the first time in their respective careers for each to have a fellow righty as a partner.
When he came to the Caps two seasons ago, Lindgren became just the seventh right-handed catching goaltender in franchise history; Thompson will be the eighth. Lindgren has racked up 38 victories in his first two seasons in Washington, ranking him third among right-handed goaltenders in franchise history. Only Pat Riggin (67) and Jose Theodore (62) are ahead of him on that short list.
All Lined Up – Here’s how we expect the Capitals to line up for Saturday’s exhibition finale in the District, and here also is an expected roster for the Bruins:
WASHINGTON
Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 17-Strome, 88-Mangiapane
24-McMichael, 80-Dubois, 43-Wilson
28-Cristall, 29-Lapierre, 21-Protas
22-Duhaime, 26-Dowd, 16-Raddysh
Defensemen
6-Chychrun, 74-Carlson
42-Fehervary, 3-Roy
38-Sandin, 57-van Riemsdyk
Goaltenders
79-Lindgren
48-Thompson
BOSTON
Forwards
10-Riley Tufte
19-Johnny Beecher
23-Fabian Lysell
38-Patrick Brown
39-Morgan Geekie
42-Georgii Merkulov
45-Cole Koepke
47-Mark Kastelic
48-Jeffrey Viel
49-Max Jones
62-Riley Duran
63-Brad Marchand
64-Jaxon Nelson
72-Brett Harrison
Defensemen
6-Mason Lohrei
29-Parker Wotherspoon
41-Jackson Edward
52-Andrew Peeke
58-Billy Sweezey
79-Michael Callahan
Goaltenders
30-Brandon Bussi
50-Kasimir Kaskisuo
85-Ryan Bischel
