Washington Capitals: Are They Meeting Our Expectations So Far?

The Bottom Six

Here is one area that is truly hard to read. At times, the newcomers have performed perfectly. But injuries have muddled that a bit. Which six will the coaches ultimately settle on? There are certainly salary cap concerns that will have an effect on the selection.

Travis Boyd, Nic Dowd and Chandler Stephenson are all chipping in reasonably. The additions of Garnett Hathaway, Brendan Leipsic and Richard Panik have also complemented the penalty kill. Both Hathaway and Leipsic have demonstrated the kind physicality Caps fans love. Overall, I think they have been good additions and we are fortunate that we are able to see that even greater impact is possible.

On the down side, fans seem to want to be short with Panik. But I am not sure that’s fair as injuries have kept him from developing chemistry with just about anyone. However, his last couple of games have been excellent. It bodes well for the 3rd line if it continues.

Fans seem to forget that Brett Connolly had a similar slow start to the 2016-17 season before he started producing. At some point the injuries will, hopefully, subside and the Caps can field a consistent lineup for a while. Its been admirable that they have been able to insert several different players and still reap the success. A true testimony to their depth.

Status: Expectations being met, and possibly exceeded.