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Washington Capitals Top Six Forwards Best in the NHL

By Richard Ball

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 03: Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) celebrates with left wing Jakub Vrana (13) after his third goal of the game for a hat trick during the Calgary Flames vs. Washington Capitals on November 3, 2019 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 03: Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) celebrates with left wing Jakub Vrana (13) after his third goal of the game for a hat trick during the Calgary Flames vs. Washington Capitals on November 3, 2019 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Washington Capitals are very deep at forward. That might be one of the biggest understatements of the 2019-20 season.

Everyone knows Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and his best buddy, center, Nicklas Backstrom. They have been teammates since the 2007-08 season.

Caps center Evgeny Kuznetsov earned a special place in the Rock the Red fans heart when he scored the Game Six series overtime winner against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round on the road to the Stanley Cup in the 2017-18 season. Right Winger T.J. Oshie may be one of the most likable players in the NHL.

These four players are well-known throughout the NHL as players you need to watch particularly in the offensive zone. They have been mainstays on the Caps top two forward lines since they arrived in Washington.

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The two remaining forwards in the top six, Jakub Vrana and Tom Wilson, may soon find themselves in the same discussion for their offensive capabilities as their peers. Through the first 17 games of the season, Vrana and Wilson each have 14 points which is by far their best points per game rate in their career.

The Caps have the most productive top two lines in the NHL. Prior to the game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night, each of the Caps top-six forwards was in the top 90 in scoring in the NHL.

The Caps even have a seventh forward in the top 100 in scoring. Third line center Lars Eller, like Vrana and Wilson, is scoring at the best rate of his career.

When you are scoring the most goals in the NHL, it is very likely that you will have several players at the top of the NHL scoring table. For the Caps, it makes it a tough assignment for their opponents when you have two number one scoring lines.

While the Caps are set this season with quality depth in their top-six forwards, General Manager Brian MacLellan will have some work to do in the next two years. Backstrom is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. Ovechkin and Vrana will be unrestricted and restricted free agents at the end of the 2020-21 season.

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While that is a problem for down the road, the Caps are quite happy to have the best top-six forwards in the NHL this season. Many teams would be happy to have three forwards of this quality.

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