Washington Capitals: Top 3 players ready for a breakout season in 2021
The Washington Capitals are entering a big season. Some fans are optimistic while others are pessimistic they are in a decline. No matter what direction you think the team is going, expect these players to step up to the plate and be a positive to watch this season. Each one is poised for a breakout year.
There were several players that could’ve made this list but here’s the three we expect to light up the scoresheet night after night. These players are a mix of both young and old. We’ll start with the lone young one on the list. We kind of know who the number one is.
#3 Daniel Sprong
Daniel Sprong always made an impact when his number was called. Expect Sprong to take on a larger role this season and be a spark plug on either the second or third line. Last season, Sprong scored 13 goals and added seven assists for 20 points. He has the potential to have a 20 goal season for the first time in his career.
Last season, Sprong played in 42 of the Caps 56 games. Fans were clamoring for him to get more playing time. Here’s hoping the team listens as Sprong is the youngest player on the team at age 24.
#2 T.J. Oshie
T.J. Oshie was protected by the Caps from the Seattle Kraken for this ultimate reason: Oshie is the heart and soul of the Caps and losing him would have been a big blow to the locker room. Last season Oshie scored 22 goals and added 21 assists for 43 points, showing like the great eight that there were no signs of him aging. He has also defied Father Time.
Oshie recently took his youngest kid, his son Campbell on the ice for the first time at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. As you can probably tell from both his and his wife’s Instagram, T.J. is a family guy. It is a good thing he is sticking around raising his kids in the D.C. area.
Oshie will have to compete ultimately with age as he will turn 35 before Christmas. It will be up to him and the other veterans to avoid a drop off. Eventually age catches up to us all. It is up to ultimately Oshie himself to defy it.
Oshie has the potential to do just that. Whether he is on the first line, second line or third line, expect another 20 goal season where he could maybe reach 30 in a full 82 game season. If age does catch up, he could maybe at least reach 22 again.
#1 Alex Ovechkin
Despite being the oldest player on the team, I still wouldn’t bet against Alex Ovechkin having another stellar season with the Washington Capitals. Needing just 33 goals for the next five seasons to catch Wayne Gretzky, Ovechkin has the potential to do just that and score more than 33 goals next season.
If he does that it will take some of the pressure off the later years when age does unfortunately catch up to the great eight. It will eventually but I doubt it happens this year. Ovechkin will turn 36 next month and just signed a five year extension where he will make $9.5 million per year.
Last season Ovechkin scored a career low 24 goals and 18 assists for 42 points. Keep in mind he spent the beginning of the season on the COVID protocols list and dealt with an injury towards the end of the regular season. Ovechkin played in 45 of the Caps 56 games.
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His numbers would be bigger obviously if they were an 82 game season and Ovechkin must be chomping at the bit knowing that a normal season is on the horizon which gives him a chance to catch the great one and have him in his sights the next couple of seasons.