3 Capitals players that impressed us so far this season
While the Washington Capitals aren't at the top of the league right now, they aren't at the bottom either. Here are 3 players that have impressed us so far this season.
I know a lot of you are mad. I am too. But that doesn't mean there haven't been any positives to the Washington Capitals season. So after paiting the picture of the sky falling after losing in overtime Saturday, this post will look on the bright side of things.
So here we go, top 3 positives of the Caps season so far in terms of players that have impressed us. Spoiler alert, #3 was the easiest.
#3 Anthony Mantha
A big positive this season for the Capitals has been the emergence of Anthony Mantha into the player the Caps envisioned when they made business at the trade deadline three years ago for his services. The question is, does this increase his value if the Capitals continue to falter after the all star break?
The Caps were rumored to have explorded shopping him but nothing came to fruition over the summer. He might be an attractive target now for a contender. Dealing him would give the Caps some fianancial flexibility. But do they run it back and go for it?
They have to figure it out sooner rather than later.
Mantha has 15 goals and eight assists for 23 points and his breakout is the one of the biggest positives in the first chapter of the Spencer Carbery era.
#2 Dylan Strome
Dylan Strome has taken tremendous strides this season and we are pleased. I always thoguht the pick up in the summer of 2022 free agency was good but wasn't sure it was going to be this good. And even last year when the Caps plummented, Strome did his best to keep the games interesting. There's not much more you ask ask from a player in terms of that.
So far this season Strome has 19 goals and 12 assists for 31 points in 47 games played. That included the game tying goal in the overtime loss Saturday afternoon at Dallas and two goals the game before that in Colorado three nights prior.
From the Caps fourth game through the eighth game of the season, Strome was the most hot. He had six goals in those four games with a pair of two goal perfromances against the Canadiens and Devils and goals against the Wild and Sharks. Strome would have two more mutli goal games after that.
Strome's other two goal game came in the loss to the Dallas Stars back on Dec. 7 where the Caps fell just short in the shootout. So the Caps at the very least got two points against one of the Western Conference's best teams but it was a point in each of the two games.
#1 Charlie Lindgren
If there was any MVP this stage in the season we might bestow it to Charlie Lindgren after he not only cashed in on our preseason prediction of being an elite backup but also capitalizing on it. Right now he's 9-6-4 but while the win loss record still scratches some heads, Lindgren's goals against average is 2.59 and his save percentage is at .916.
He makes just $1.1 million which is a bargain compared to a lot of goalies. He's not only been relliable but he can be elite when he's hot. He can show up agianst good teams like Vegas. Even in games the Caps came up short in, like Saturday in Dallas, Lindgren keeps them in the game.
Such was the case with 29 saves in a tough 2-1 loss to the Rangers. It also included 30 saves in the loss to the Stars over the weekend. Lindgren although losing in Minnesota last week to the Wild did have a homecoming of sorts. The netminder with the best mustache in the league was born in Lakeville, Minnesota.
Those are our top 3 players that have impressed us thus far this season. Who did we miss? Did we nail it?
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