The Washington Capitals hit the ice yesterday for the first day of training camp. Who will play on which line and with whom has been a topic of discussion since the Caps traded for Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou and signed free agent Boone Jenner this summer. While the Caps may not have a clear No. 1 line, they do have a better-than-solid group of forwards that make them very difficult to match up against on any given night. Head coach Spencer Carbery gave everyone a look at the new line combinations on Day One, although don’t read too much into just yet. A lot can happen between now and Opening Night on October 3rd in Raleigh.
Here are the line combinations from the start of camp:
The Capitals are officially back on the ice for the start of training camp. Here’s a potential look at forward lines based off of color-coding this morning:
— Katie Adler (@katieEadler) September 17, 2026
Ovechkin-Strome-Leonard
Tuch-Dubois-Wilson
A. Protas-I. Protas-Kyrou
Jenner-Sourdif-Beauvillier
After signing an 8-year, $84 million dollar extension this week, Leonard is on the right wing with Strome and Ovechkin. Leonard scored 20 goals last season and showed he has the shot and the wheels to be a good NHL player. This, I guess, is the de facto No. 1 line, especially now with the Great 8 and the Caps top young player playing together. It represents a passing of the torch, in a way. Leonard is the future, with his grit and tenacity and that wicked wrister. Ovi is the wily veteran with the booming slap shot and all of those goals. Leonard’s speed should make that line harder to defend.
The 2nd line is the powerhouse line, in my opinion. All three guys are big men who can skate, defend, and score. Centered by arguable the best two-way center in the league Pierre-Luc Dubois, imagine having to defend these big dudes. Even better, they all have some pretty darn good defensive chops, making them this year’s version of the A. Protas-Dubois-Wilson line from last year. That line was the Caps shutdown line that was most often matched against opponents top lines on a given night. Swapping Tuch for Big Pro wonn’t make them less effective but strengthens the Caps third line.
The 3rd line has the chance to be another checking line that can put up points. Most teams have a checking line that focuses more on defense and leaves the scoring to the other lines. The Capitals now have two lines that can play tight defense and put up a lot of points, if everything clicks. Aliaksei Protas is a 60-point guy, as is Jordan Kyrou. Ilya Protas only has four games of NHL experience, but he looked more than ready at the end of last season, scoring four points in four games. How Lil’ Pro adjusts in his first full year will determine how successful this combination is.
The fourth line is almost an embarrassment of riches. There is veteran Anthony Beauvillier, who’s speed and defensive skills allow him to play anywhere in the lineup. Justin Sourdif—who re-upped with the Caps this week for 8 years, $6.5 million per season—showed he can play well in the defensive zone and after scoring 35 points in 78 games last season, has some scoring punch. Then the old veteran, Boone Jenner, formerly of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who can score and play defense. I think the Capitals’ fourth line will be better than a lot of teams’ third line. It is rare that a team can build a fourth line with players that could easily play on the second or third lines.
Of course, injuries and lapses in play can and will lead to changes in the lineup. There are still a couple of young players who still can make a case to be in the starting lineup during training camp. But, Carbery’s lines show that the Capitals have a lot of depth at the forward position, probably the best depth they have had in a long time.
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