NHL EDGE stats for Washington Capitals
NHL EDGE stats for Washington Capitals
Ovechkin's shot speed, range, additions of Thompson, Chychrun among highlights
© Patrick Smith/Getty Images
As part of NHL.com’s 32 in 32 series, we will identify key EDGE stats for each team to preview the 2024-25 season. Today, we look at the impact of three advanced metrics for the Washington Capitals:
1. Goalie Logan Thompson led the NHL in high-danger save percentage (.892) during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and was tied for eighth in midrange save percentage (.909) during the regular season in 2023-24 with the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Capitals, after qualifying for the playoffs in their final game of last season, were swept by the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference First Round. During the offseason Washington traded for Thompson, defenseman Jakob Chychrun (Ottawa Senators), and forwards Andrew Mangiapane (Calgary Flames) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (Los Angeles Kings) to boost their depth. Thompson goes from being in a timeshare with Adin Hill in Vegas to another competition with Charlie Lindgren, who is coming off an NHL career high in wins (25) and tying for the NHL lead in shutouts (six) last season.
The move could give Washington a top-10 NHL goalie tandem considering it ranked in the middle of the pack in team save percentage (.899; tied for 15th) last season with Lindgren and Darcy Kuemper (traded to Los Angeles for Dubois).
2. Alex Ovechkin led NHL forwards in 90-plus mile per hour shots (68) and ranked second among all players in the category behind Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard (112).
Ovechkin, who will turn 39 on Sept. 17, still has one of the hardest shots in the NHL and plenty of range; he ranked in the 91st percentile in max shot speed (98.40 mph), led NHL forwards in long-range shots on goal (58) and was tied for the most long-range goals (four). Ovechkin also ranked fifth in the NHL among all players in midrange shots on goal (125) and was in the 96th percentile in midrange goals (13), with 10 of his 31 goals last season coming from the left midrange location.
Ovechkin (853 career goals) continues his pursuit of the NHL goal-scoring record, trailing Wayne Gretzky (894) by 41 entering the start of his 20th season, and has a significantly better supporting cast than last season. Ovechkin and linemate Dylan Strome were Washington’s only players to reach 60 points last season; Strome led the Capitals with 67 and Ovechkin was second with 65.
NHL EDGE: Behind Ovechkin’s power-play goal
3. Jakob Chychrun ranked fourth in the NHL among defensemen in midrange goals (eight) last season with the Senators.
Chychrun has a high goal ceiling for a defenseman, scoring in double digits three times during his NHL career, topped by 18 for the Arizona Coyotes in 2020-21. Chychrun and new teammate John Carlson now give the Capitals two EDGE stats standouts on defense. Carlson was among the NHL leaders in total skating distance (290.18 miles; 98th percentile), top shot speed (100.75 mph; 96th percentile) and long-range shots on goal (85; 96th percentile) last season, while Chychrun wasn’t far behind in total skating distance (253.78 miles; 90th percentile) and top shot speed (97.59 mph; 89th percentile) and had more long-range shots on goal (90; 97th percentile).
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More: NHL EDGE stats leaders
