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Washington Capitals: New Additions Impact in First Week

By David Trice

UNIONDALE, NY - OCTOBER 04: Washington Capitals Left Wing Brendan Leipsic (28) controls the puck with New York Islanders Center Derick Brassard (10) defending during the first period of the game between the Washington Capitals and the New York Islanders on October 4, 2019, at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NY - OCTOBER 04: Washington Capitals Left Wing Brendan Leipsic (28) controls the puck with New York Islanders Center Derick Brassard (10) defending during the first period of the game between the Washington Capitals and the New York Islanders on October 4, 2019, at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 08: Radko Gudas #33 of the Washington Capitals skates with the puck in the third period against the Dallas Stars at Capital One Arena on October 8, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 08: Radko Gudas #33 of the Washington Capitals skates with the puck in the third period against the Dallas Stars at Capital One Arena on October 8, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images) /

The Washington Capitals approached free agency with a plan to add grit and a more defensive responsible bottom of the lineup. How has the new additions fared in the first week of action?

Each addition was expected to fill a void the team either felt they needed or was necessary from departures. Radko Gudas was expected to provide the Washington Capitals with a replacement for the retired Brooks Orpik as a more defensive responsible defenseman to groom the younger players.

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Richard Panik was looked to fill the gap left by Brett Connolly who left in free agency to join the Florida Panthers.

Garnet Hathaway and Brendan Leipsic were both brought in to push the incumbents on the fourth line in Travis Boyd and Chandler Stephenson. Both were expected to provide the missing team defense that you expect from the fourth line.

With the exception of Gudas, all the others were added via free agency. It was obvious the team felt they needed to make this a priority to add more defensive minded forwards as they signed Panik and Hathaway for four years apiece.

Leipsic was signed for just this year, most likely to give the team some freedoms with the roster following this year.

Let’s take a look at how each major addition has fared in the first week of action with their new team.

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