Predicting the Washington Capitals depth chart.
Earlier today we predicted the opening night starting lineup for the Washington Capitals. Let’s now predict the top four lines, top 3 defensive pairs as well as the extra forwards and defenseman.
Roster construction this season will be much different than in years past thanks to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Just like the NHL bubble in Toronto and Edmonton, rosters will be expanded. NHL rosters will hold up to 23 players as well as four to six additional players on a taxi squad.
Teams will be required to carry at least three goalies with two on the NHL roster and one on the taxi squad. The salary cap will remain flat at $81.5 million with the taxi squad players being paid a full AHL salary since they will have to travel with the team.
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First, let’s dissect the main lines.
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Vrana-Backstrom-Oshie
Hagelin-Eller-Sprong
Panik-Dowd-Hathaway
Dillon-Carlson
Orlov-Schultz
Siegenthaler-Jensen
Samsonov
No surprises here. That already is 19 players. The extra forward will be Conor Sheary, who the team recently signed. They’ll carry additional forwards on the taxi squad.
The Caps will also have an extra two defensemen in Trevor van Riemsdyk and Paul LaDue. Having two extra blueliners will be vital after the team lost Michal Kempny for the season.
Finally, that leaves us to one more player and the player who will be backing up Ilya Samsonov will be none other than Craig Anderson who the Caps just signed to a PTO.
That leaves us to the taxi squad which teams can carry a minimum of four players and a maximum of six. Vitek Vanecek will certainly be on the taxi squad while Pheonix Copley will backstop the Hershey Bears. Their season begins in February.
Another player who will make the taxi squad is promising young defenseman Martin Fehervary. Phillipe Maillet will also make the taxi squad picking up where he left off when he joined the team in the bubble.
That leaves three more spots maximum. We need more offense and the one question we all have is if Connor McMichael might get promoted to the taxi squad. I believe he will be. Rounding out the group will be Brian Pinho and Joe Snively.
This is my prediction for the Caps depth chart in the 2021 season. Who do you think will make the squad? Coaches will have to keep an extra eye on the guys with no preseason games.