3 players that won’t be back next season for Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals have some big decisions to make. Things became a bit more crystal clear about what they’ve had to do over the last month.
We first learned Tom Wilson will be out an extended period of time so the Caps need a top six right winger. That’s not all.
We also learned Nicklas Backstrom will be out for an indefinite amount of time due to hip surgery. Now the Caps need not just a top six right winger but also a top six center. As good as Connor McMichael is, he’s more ready for a bottom six role than a top six.
#3 Justin Schultz
It’s pretty certain that Justin Schultz will not be back with the Caps next season. They’re now looking to spend money on a forward and a veteran goaltender and now have a little bit to spend. Even though they have more money than what we originally anticipated, it’s not worth it to re-sign Justin Shultz.
He had a four million cap hit next season and will be an unrestricted free agent. He had four goals and 19 assists for 23 points last season in 74 games. As good as he was winning multiple Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was OK during his time with the Caps.
#2 Michal Kempny
It’s really sad how Michal Kempny has regressed over the last couple years from his hamstring injury in 2019. This season he only played in 15 games after failing to make the Caps roster out of training camp due to a horrible preseason. He began the season with the Hershey Bears.
In the 15 NHL games that he did play, Kempny had one goal and one assist for two points. This was after he was sidelined all of the previous season with more injury troubles.
Kempny’s advanced stats went hand in hand with his regular season troubles. He had a Corsi For percentage of 45.48 percent, an Expected Goals For percentage of 47.05 percent, and a High Danger Chances For percentage of 45.83 percent, per Natural Stat Trick.
Kempny did not play at all in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This was just four short years after he helped improve the Caps defense after they acquired him at the trade deadline. It was an important trade at the time and it helped the Caps win the Stanley Cup that year.
One thing is for sure, he wasn’t the same since he injury that he suffered a year earlier and that’s quite sad to be honest.
#1 Vitek Vanecek
It’s going to come down to Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek as far as who stays and who goes and both are restricted free agents as soon as free agency begins. It’s been exhausting breaking down the last two seasons worth of these goalies and STILL not being able to figure out who the guy could be for the future.
But if we’re looking at recent success, Ilya Samsonov had it by backstopping the Capitals for the remainder of the playoffs. And even though the Caps were bounced in the first round, Samsonov wasn’t one to blame.
Vitek Vanecek went 20-12-6 with a 2.67 goals against average and a .908 save percentage in the regular season. In the playoffs he went 1-1 with a 4.21 goals against average and a .863 save percentage.
Samsonov went 23-12-5 with a 3.02 goals against average and a .896 save percentage in the regular season. In the playoffs he seemed to had come around with a 2.97 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.
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I think the team ultimately chooses Samsonov going forward and then tries to go for a veteran goalie via a trade or the free agent market. Unlike the previous years, the Caps have a little bit more to spend.