Washington Capitals: Top 30 Players In Franchise History

Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Sylvain Cote

Coming in at number 18 on our list of the greatest Washington Capitals players of all-time is defenseman Sylvain Cote. Cote is often overlooked because he didn’t put up the flashy numbers that other defensemen did. Ask anyone who played with him or against him and you’d hear the same thing: “Cote might not have been a big points guy, but man could that guy play defense”.

Cote played 622 games for the Caps. He scored 75 goals and added 195 assists, good for 270 points. He was extremely impressive in the defensive zone and playing defense. His +60 plus-minus rating reflects that.

"Cote played five years in Hartford before being traded to the Washington Capitals on September 8, 1991. In 1993-94, Cote registered a career-high 51 points and remained a steady performer on the Capitals’ defense until being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Jeff Brown in March, 1998. In the summer of 2000, Cote signed as a free agent with the Washington Capitals and went on to play two full seasons with the club before calling it a career after being released after only one game in 2002-03. – Washington Capitals"

Next: #17