Top 3 Capitals that will have a breakout season in 2022
There are many Washington Capitals players that could have a breakout year this year. We talked about which players will breakout when it comes to fantasy hockey. Now we’ll talk about reality hockey.
I could easily see these 3 players I will mention in a moment having career years. One player we know is going to breakout no matter what as he is chasing hockey’s biggest record. Another is a player willing to prove himself after the Caps traded for him a year ago. Another is someone who is replacing Nicklas Backstrom on the top six.
#3 Anthony Mantha
After an injury filled season last year Anthony Mantha is ready to show the Caps why they traded Jakub Vrana for him in the first place. It’s still way too early to judge who won the trade but we might get more clarity this season if Mantha breaks out, which he will.
Mantha’s best season was in 2018-19 when he had 25 goals in 67 games. He played just 37 games last year and recorded nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points.
When Mantha came back in March it helped energize the team. It made the Caps start to win games. Which is what you need to do in a tough and improved Metropolitan Division.
#2 Dylan Strome
Dylan Strome has joined the Capitals from the Chicago Blackhawks and he’s ready to prove himself after signing a one year prove it deal.
Strome was signed to a one year, $3.5 million contract after the Blackhawks didn’t give him a qualifying offer. He was a top six center in Chicago and he could easily be a spark plug on the Caps second line.
Last season Strome had a career high 22 goals and 26 assists for 48 points in 69 games. Now with Nicklas Backstrom hurt, Strome has an opportunity to score 30 goals centering a much better offense than he did in Chicago.
If Strome centers the second line he might be in between Anthony Mantha and T.J. Oshie. Those two when they’re healthy can put up a lot of goals too.
We talked about Mantha in the last slide and we know what Oshie can do as he’s the heart and soul in the locker room. The new guy Strome should be able to fit right in.
Strome could also be huge on the first or second unit of a power play that was very inconsistent last season. As sad as things are without Nicklas Backstrom, Strome has a chance to do a good job filling in.
#1 Alex Ovechkin
The number one player who will have a breakout season is none other than the great eight himself Alex Ovechkin. Last season after he signed his contract extension he needed to average 33 goals per season in order to catch Wayne Gretzky.
Year one into that deal? He scored 50 goals. Passed the test.
And now the math is different.
There’s four years left on the contract so now Ovechkin has to average 28.5 goals for the next four seasons in order to reach hockey’s most coveted record.
But realistically what can we expect from the great eight as he turns 37 this September?
For one thing, he may be up one year in age but his drive will always remain. I see Nicklas Backstrom being around the team in the locker room and in the press box during games. Having Backstrom around will help Ovechkin from a mental standpoint and that will translate to on ice success.
light. Must Read. Breaking down the October schedule of the Capitals
Those are three players who will for sure have a breakout season this year with the Capitals. There’s definitely more out there that have the potential and this could be a very interesting season coming up.