The Washington Capitals have opened the 2026-27 season with a 4-3-0 record, good for eight points and third place in the Metropolitan Division behind the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes. A heavy offseason retooling has helped put them in position early, and through seven games, three names have stood out above the rest.
Alex Tuch has been the most productive of the group by the numbers, and the fit has been immediate after his offseason arrival from the Buffalo Sabres in a deal that sent David Kampf and a 2027 third-round draft pick the other way. Tuch leads the Capitals in goals with five, part of a six-point start, and he has already delivered two multi-goal games: one in Washington’s opener against the Hurricanes and another in the most recent matchup with the Montreal Canadiens.
The production has come in bursts, but when he has scored, it has mattered. Three of his goals have been game-winners.
Tuch has averaged 18:52 of ice time and has spent most of his shifts between the first and second lines with players including Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson, and Jordan Kyrou. He has also chipped in a shorthanded goal and seen time on the second power-play unit, giving Washington a forward who can impact the game at five-on-five and in special teams situations.
Ryan Leonard has matched Tuch for the team lead in points, though his production has come in a different form. The winger has two goals and four assists, and he has spent more of his time setting teammates up than finishing chances himself. His assists have come on goals by defensemen Timothy Liljegren and Justin Holl, as well as linemates Boone Jenner and Kyrou.
Leonard has also moved around constantly, shifting between left and right wing and bouncing between the third and fourth lines. Even with an average of just 13:52 per game, he is tied with Ilya Protas for second on the team in assists and sits tied with Tuch for the team lead in points. The 21-year-old has already shown enough to justify his recently signed eight-year contract extension, and if he can keep pace with or exceed last season’s 20 goals, he could wind up as one of Washington’s most productive players.
In net, Logan Thompson continues to give the Capitals the kind of stability they have leaned on for multiple seasons. He began as Charlie Lindgren’s backup, but has since established himself as the clearer No. 1 over the last two seasons. Through five games this year, Thompson is 3-2-0 with 132 saves, a 2.84 goals-against average, and a .904 save percentage.
Those numbers are strong, but they only tell part of the story. Thompson has a way of making difficult stops look routine, and that steadiness remains a major piece of Washington’s push this season.
The Capitals are in the middle of a five-game homestand and will look to make the most of their home ice as October winds down. Their next game comes Oct. 17, when they host the New Jersey Devils in a matinee.
In Other News...
Canadiens Keep Creating Chances But Still Look Exposed In Atlantic Race
The Canadiens have been doing enough to make games interesting, but not enough to stop the pressure from turning into concern. Montreal has generated plenty of scoring chances in recent outings, and Josh Anderson and Zachary Bolduc have helped drive the offense, yet the teams early spot in the Atlantic Division leaves little margin for the kind of inefficiency that keeps showing up in close games.
Part of the issue has been getting enough from both ends of the ice, with shooting efficiency lagging and opposing goaltenders finding ways to hold the line. Montreal sits seventh in the division early in the 2026-27 season, and the gap between creating opportunities and cashing them in is starting to feel like the kind of problem that can linger if it does not turn quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Still Need More From One Protas Brother Early
The early-season review of the Protas brothers has already led to a few lineup tweaks for Washington, with Spencer Carbery looking for more stability from both Aliaksei and Ilya. Ilya, still finding his footing in the NHL, has been moved onto a line with Alex Ovechkin and Ivan Miroshnichenko, while Aliaksei has been shifted away from his brother and into a different mix with Tom Wilson and Boone Jenner after a slow opening stretch.
Carbery has not hidden the fact that Aliakseis play has been up and down, even as he continues to see room for growth from both brothers. For Washington, the broader question is how much patience to extend while the season is still so young, especially with one of the Protases learning on a contending team and the other trying to turn flashes of chemistry into something more reliable. [Read more 🡒]