Washington Capitals: Top 30 Players In Franchise History

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Michal Pivonka

Coming in at number ten on our countdown of the best Washington Capitals players in franchise history is center Michal Pivonka. Pivonka held the franchise record for assists before that record was broken by Nicklas Backstrom. He played his entire career with the Caps, spending 12 seasons with them.

"He joined the Caps in 1986-87 and filled an important void created by the retirement of Bengt Gustafsson. Pivonka centered a line between Bobby Gould and Gatean Duchesne, making a good impression from the start with his strong skating, excellent passing, and willingness to play physically. Pivonka remained as a fixture with the Caps for 12 seasons. By the early nineties, fellow countryman Petr Bondra joined the club, uniting with Pivonka to make an effective offensive duo. In tandem, they raised each other’s game with Pivonka scoring a career- high 80 points in 80 games during the 1991-92 campaign. By the end of the decade, however, his numbers and his legs began to slow. In 1999, he was dispatched to the Kansas City Blades of the IHL where he completed his pro career in 2000. – Capitals"

He played in 825 games with the Caps over his 12-year career. He scored 181 goals and had 418 assists for a total of 599 points.

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