Capitals 2025 Training Camp Ultimate Guide: Everything To Know, Storylines, Dark Horses & Who To Keep An Eye On

Here's everything to know going into the Capitals' training camp.

Sep 17, 2025

ARLINGTON, V.A. — Washington Capitals hockey is officially upon us.

Washington will open its training camp with the first on-ice sessions on Thursday at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, with 37 forwards, 18 defensemen and seven goalies split into three different groups. The first session is at 9 a.m., and all sessions are free and open to the public.

To prep for training camp, here’s everything to know with D.C. Backcheck’s first training camp ultimate guide.

Caps Storylines To Watch

Connor McMichael is poised to become the new third-line center with Lars Eller moving on to Ottawa and the team seeking long-term consistency, stability and production on that trio. With Ryan Leonard on that right side, and several other options to complement Leonard and McMichael on the left, expect that line to be fast and make some noise.
Hendrix Lapierre is another name to watch, though, as he looks to return to the NHL after losing his roster spot last season following a rough start. In his return to Hershey, he produced at a point-per-game pace, and this offseason, put in a lot of work to get back to where he was. He’ll be looking to win back that 3C spot, and if he can’t secure that, he’ll do what he can to stay on the roster regardless.
Sonny Milano missed all but three games last season amid an injury and subsequent setback that also had him on the LTIR and his career in flux. After recovering and getting back on the ice this summer, Milano looks like he’s in good shape and ready to return to the lineup — though he faces heavy competition.
One big competitor is Andrew Cristall, who is coming into camp bigger and stronger following a dominant, record-setting season in the WHL. He nearly won a spot last year, and now that he’s of age and ready to make the pro jump, it wouldn’t be surprising to get a handful of games up at the NHL level.
Speaking of making the jump to the Show, Ivan Miroshnichenko wants to stick around long term after getting his feet wet over the last couple of seasons. He’s been looking strong at informal skates, so watch for him to make some noise, too.

New Caps In Town

Justin Sourdif — Washington acquired Justin Sourdif this offseason from the Florida Panthers, finally getting a trade done for a player that’s been on their radar these last few seasons. Sourdif’s expected to fill in on the 4RW with Brandon Duhaime and Nic Dowd, bringing his positioning, hockey IQ and wicked shot to the table, but he’s also a versatile player who can play center as well.
Declan Chisholm — The Capitals also traded for more defensive depth, acquiring Declan Chisholm at the draft. Chisholm, a 6-foot-1 blueliner, is a strong puck mover and passer who plays a defense-first game. He’s a solid seventh defenseman who can jump into the lineup at a moment’s notice, and at 25, has plenty of upside, too.
Sheldon Rempal — A dark horse to keep an eye on, Rempal signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Capitals this summer. The 30-year-old has a few years of NHL and AHL experience and is coming off an impressive year in the KHL where he put up 31 goals and 30 assists for 61 points in 68 regular-season games, along with 21 points in 19 playoff games, for Ufa Salavat Yulayev. A sleeper to keep an eye on, for sure. High-energy forward, hard worker and can produce.

Caps To Keep An Eye On

Alex Ovechkin — He’s entering his 21st NHL season and just turned 40. He can also become the first player in NHL history to record 900 career regular-season goals. Still has the pep in his step after breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record at the end of last year. What else is there to say?
Ryan Leonard — After getting a taste of what the NHL’s about, Leonard got to work this summer. He put on about five pounds of muscle and looks stronger on his skates, and he also now knows what it takes to produce and make an impact at the highest level. Look for him to make an impact.
Tom Wilson — An important player to watch in a transitional year for the team with Ovechkin in the final year of his contract. He’s the captain in waiting, hit 30 goals last season and is coming off a career year, and he looks ready to do even more this time around.
Ethen Frank — Frank has been one of the more impressive Capitals to watch at informal skates so far, leading the way with his speed, quick shot and stickhandling. He wants to remain in the NHL after earning a full-time promotion last season, and he’s in a good spot to keep it that way.
Jakob Chychrun — Signed long-term and coming off a 20-goal season, look for even more from Chychrun, especially with the John Carlson era winding down and him preparing to take on a bigger offensive role.
Martin Fehervary — Coming off knee surgery, look for Fehervary to continue playing a key shutdown role for D.C.

Dark Horses To Watch

Henrik Rybinski — Rybinski re-signed with D.C. this offseason and has stood out to the coaching staff over the last year. He’s a solid center who is still waiting for his NHL debut, though he got a call-up last season. With a strong camp, he may get a look.
Ilya Protas – After a standout first year in the OHL, the younger brother of Aliaksei Protas is ready to make the pro jump one way or another. You can’t rule him out for a glance if he makes the most of his opportunity and forces the coaching staff’s hand.

Caps Training Camp Roster

Forwards: Anthony Beauvillier, Graeme Clark, Andrew Cristall, Grant Cruikshank, Nic Dowd, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Brandon Duhaime, Ethen Frank, Zac Funk, Ryan Hofer, Lyndon Lakovic, Hendrix Lapierre, Ryan Leonard, Eriks Mateiko, Connor McMichael, Sonny Milano, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Justin Nachbaur, Alex Ovechkin, Terik Parascak, Ludwig Persson, Aliaksei Protas, Ilya Protas, Sheldon Rempal, Miroslav Satan Jr., Maxim Schafer, Spencer Smallman, Dalton Smith, Justin Sourdif, Dylan Strome, Matthew Strome, Alexander Suzdalev, Patrick Thomas, Luke Toporowski, Bogdan Trineyev, Tom Wilson

Defensemen: Cam Allen, Louie Belpedio, John Carlson, Ryan Chesley, Declan Chisholm, Jakob Chychrun, Martin Fehervary, David Gucciardi, Vincent Iorio, Nick Leivermann, Jon McDonald, Dylan McIlrath, Leon Muggli, Aaron Ness, Calle Rosen, Matt Roy, Rasmus Sandin, Trevor van Riemsdyk

Goaltenders: Garin Bjorklund, Seth Eisele, Mitchell Gibson, Antoine Keller, Charlie Lindgren, Clay Stevenson, Logan Thompson

Caps Camp Schedule

Thursday, Sept. 18 – Caps Media Day

9 a.m. – Group A skate test (Capitals Rink)

9:45 a.m. – Group A practice

11:45 a.m. – Group B skate test (Capitals Rink)

12:30 p.m. – Group B practice

1:45 p.m. – Group B media availability

2:30 p.m. – Group C skate test (Capitals Rink)

3:15 p.m. – Group C practice

4:30 p.m. – Group C media availability

Friday, Sept. 19

9 a.m. – Group A practice (Arlington Rink)

9:35 a.m. – Group A practice (Capitals Rink)

10:30 a.m. – Group A off-ice workouts (Gym)

11:45 p.m. – Group B practice (Arlington Rink)

12:20 p.m. – Group B practice (Capitals Rink)

1:10 p.m. – Group B off-ice workouts (Gym)

1:45 p.m. – Group C practice (Arlington Rink)

2:20 p.m. – Group C practice (Capitals Rink)

Saturday, Sept. 20