Washington Capitals: 2019 preseason premier

The Washington Capitals open up the preseason tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks, the first of a six-game slate.

The anticipation of a new hockey season is in the air throughout the NHL and for Washington Capitals fans, they’re eager to see their new team for the 2019-20 season. You’ll get your first look at some of those players tonight in the Capitals first preseason game. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.

After Monday’s game, the Capitals have five more games left but the Chicago Blackhawks are just one of three opponents the Caps will see this preseason.

They’ll also take on the Carolina Hurricanes, their lone Metropolitan Division preseason matchups as well as the St. Louis Blues. These six games will be spread where the Caps have three home games while visiting the home arenas of the other three clubs.

How to watch the preseason?

You can catch all six preseason games on TV on NBC Sports Washington or you can stream the game online via the web on NBC Sports Live Extra as well as on your mobile device by downloading the My Teams app. You can also listen to the game online on Caps Radio 24/7.

September 16 vs. Chicago Blackhawks 7 p.m.

September 18 vs. St Louis Blues 7 p.m.

September 21 vs. Carolina Hurricanes 7 p.m.

September 25 at Chicago 8 p.m.

September 27 at St. Louis 8 p.m.

September 29 at Carolina 1:30 p.m.

For today’s game, if you’re unable to watch at home, please check out a free 7-day trial by Fubo.TV since they’ll have this game on the air and ready to stream for your viewing pleasure.

Keep in mind that Fubo also works on all portable devices from cell phones, laptops, tablets, and even on your personal computers at work or home.

Players to watch:

Connor McMichael: McMichael will make his Capitals preseason debut and has a chance to possibly win the third line center spot for at least the first three games with Evgeny Kuznetsov serving his suspension. Last season, McMichael scored 36 goals and 36 assists for 72 points with the London Knights. He finished second in points.

Ilya Samsonov: Samsonov won’t play in Monday’s preseason game but you’ll see him in preseason action very soon. Samsonov is coming off his first season in North America where he compiled a 20-14-12 record with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage in 37 games with the AHL’s Hershey Bears. It’s a glimpse perhaps into the future of the crease in Washington.

Chandler Stephenson: Stephenson was given a one-year contract extension worth $1,050,000, just below the salary cap threshold where his entire salary can be taken off the books if he’s sent down to Hershey. This preseason is his chance to prove himself if he looks to stay in the lineup and compete for a spot on the fourth line.

Top offseason stories:

Extending Jakub Vrana: The Capitals extended the contract of Jakub Vrana to a two-year bridge deal worth $6.7 million as he looks to build on his career-high 24-goal season.

Bolstering their bottom six: The Capitals re-upped Carl Hagelin while also signing free agents Richard Panik, Brendan Leipsic, and Garnet Hathaway. The team hopes these new guys can bring a defensive game to help compliment the offense.

A new face on defense: The biggest trade besides dealing Andre Burakovsky was when the Capitals traded Matt Niskanen for Radko Gudas. Gudas hopes to impact his new team after spending the last four seasons with one of Washington’s Metropolitan Division rivals.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the preseason Caps fans! The games will start counting soon enough.