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Washington Capitals Report Card: Devante Smith-Pelly

By Michael Marzzacco

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 05: Devante Smith-Pelly #25 of the Washington Capitals reacts after scoring against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period at Capital One Arena on November 5, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 05: Devante Smith-Pelly #25 of the Washington Capitals reacts after scoring against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period at Capital One Arena on November 5, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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Washington Capitals 2018 playoff hero Devante Smith-Pelly didn’t quite have an encore performance in the 2018-19 season.

When the Washington Capitals began preparations for defending their Stanley Cup Smith-Pelly wasn’t noticed much in the beginning of the preseason. In fact, Smith-Pelly sat out the the first five preseason games. Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post reported that he wasn’t playing due to conditioning related issues.

By the time Smith-Pelly stepped out to the ice, he didn’t put up the numbers that both the team and the fans expected. Smith-Pelly recorded just eight points in 54 games, four goals and assists each.

It took until the seventh game for Smith-Pelly to score his first goal of the season. Nov. 21 in a win over Chicago was the last time he lit the lamp. Smith-Pelly only had two assists in the next 32 games since that game. It prompted a tough decision from general manager Brian MacLellan.

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It was a decision that almost wasn’t. At first it looked like Dmitrij Jaskin would be placed on waivers back in a late February practice just a few days before the trade deadline. Then Smith-Pelly was called to leave the ice.

The decision to put Smith-Pelly on waivers was a risk in itself of potentially losing him to another team that could claim him within a 24-hour period but Smith-Pelly cleared through and was assigned to the Hershey Bears, the Capitals’ AHL affiliate.

Smith-Pelly was sent to Hershey to improve his game. He not only improved but found his offense scoring six goals in 20 games with the Bears. Overall, Smith-Pelly recorded 14 points (8 assists) and sure enough an opportunity presented itself in Washington that spring.

When the Capitals lost T.J. Oshie after Game 4, they called up Smith-Pelly and he finished out the first round series. While Smith-Pelly didn’t score any clutch goals, his hard-checking physicality was a welcome sign. Fans showered Smith-Pelly with “DSP” chants in Game 5 and one fan had a sign reading “He is risen.”

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 20: Devante Smith-Pelly #25 of the Washington Capitals warms up before playing against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 20: Devante Smith-Pelly #25 of the Washington Capitals warms up before playing against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images) /

That doesn’t happen to fourth line wingers and it rarely happens when a player comes back from the minors, yet that is the legacy Smith-Pelly has left in Washington. No matter what the future holds, there will always be a chapter about Smith-Pelly in the Capitals history books for his seven goals and three big ones in the Final to help them to their first Stanley Cup.

Grade C: While Devante Smith-Pelly’s numbers didn’t improve in his second season, DSP is still a player that can make an impact when he’s on his game. Games 5-7 in the first round was a sample size of the Smith-Pelly fans know and love.

Next. Dmitrij Jaskin Report Card. dark

Smith-Pelly improved his play in Hershey and he’s trending upward. Now it’s up to him to make sure that there’s no conditioning issues this upcoming training camp, whether that’s in Washington or elsewhere.

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