Washington Capitals Top Ten Centers In Team History

Washington Capitals Top Ten Centers: #7

Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Coming in at number seven on our list of the best Washington Capitals centers in team history is Bob Carpenter. He spent two stints with the Caps, one in the 1980’s, and one in the early 1990’s. From the day he was drafted, Carpenter had an ego that refused to allow him to fail.

"The Hartford Whalers had made public that they would select him with their first pick in the 1981 draft, fourth overall, and Carpenter was looking forward to playing near home. But the night before the draft, Washington made a trade with Colorado, selecting third, and on the big day it was the Capitals, not Whalers that selected him. Furious, Carpenter, left the Montreal Forum where the draft was running its course, and this was this first of many public relations gaffes that were to dog his career. Carpenter eventually signed with Washington and became the first player to go right from U.S. high school to the NHL, scoring 32 goals as a rookie and setting a record for American-born players when he scored 53 in his fourth year. The pervious record had been 41 by Joe Mullen. He became a staple on America’s international teams, though the results were not impressive at the 1981 World Juniors, 1984 and 1987 Canada Cups, or 1987 Worlds. In the summer of 1985 he signed a huge four-year contract with Washington, but within a year he had a falling out with coach Bryan Murray. He left the team and forced a trade, to the Rangers, but within weeks his welcome had run out and he was sent to Los Angeles in a deal that brought Marcel Dionne to Broadway. It was his third team in one season, and even that stay didn’t last long. Carpenter played with Boston, Washington again, and New Jersey (where he won his only Stanley Cup) before retiring, never scoring more than 25 goals in any one year after his big season. A superb career fizzled quickly, and he retired with none of the cockiness he had been known for as a young prospect. – Legends of Hockey"

Carpenter, along with the additions of Langway, Stevens and Gartner, helped the Washington Capitals become a legitimate NHL team. Here’s how he stacks up against the other Washington Capitals centers who qualified.

• 490 games played (seventh out of 23)
• 178 goals (second out of 23)
• 207 assists (seventh out of 23)
• 395 points (sixth out of 23)
• -38 plus/minus rating (19th out of 23)

Carpenter was relied on to provide a lot of offense for the Washington Capitals back in the 80’s. That’s precisely what he did.

Next: Number Six: Let's Celebrate The Player, Not The Coach