Sammi's Summer Notebook: Capitals' To-Do List & Thoughts, Stanley Cup Final, Personal Hockey Stories
Some thoughts on the Capitals and the Stanley Cup Final, plus Sammi's insight from her time on the ice.
With the Washington Capitals in offseason mode and coming off a bit of a rough go of it this past week, I figured it was time to kick off the weekly offseason notebook.
There’s some kind of nasty cold… or plague… or something going around. Anyway, it got me pretty bad this past week. Tie that in with other personal matters and my dog uncontrollably barking at nothing (yes, nothing) and I had to do something I haven’t done in a long time: step away from the keyboard as often as I’d been working.
Of course, it came at a good time when the news cycle is relatively slow, but just because there aren’t a lot of headlines doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to talk about. So let’s get into it.
Washington Capitals Thoughts
I miss being at the rink every day. Just getting to be around the game is a blessing, but the best part of being a reporter is interacting with the players every day and sharing my stories with the fan base. That said, it’s nice to see the players enjoying their time away.
Alex Ovechkin is officially in vacation mode and enjoying his time in Turkey. As I penned in The Hockey News, he’ll have a number of meetings coming up, including one with the president of the KHL, Alexei Morozov. After that, he’ll begin training.
His offseason regimen has been the same for years, and he’s expected to follow suit again as he’s set to work with longtime trainer Pavel Buralchenko. His return to the ice will be on July 13 when he plays in the second annual “Match of the Year” in Russia, which is essentially a KHL vs. NHL All-Star Game.
As he and his teammates get some rest and offseason work in, the Capitals have quite a bit to ponder. It’s no question that they have to address the secondary scoring and specifically, the third line, but there’s a number of directions they could go.
If I had to guess, Washington will focus on bringing in a winger this summer and allow Connor McMichael to step into that desired center role.
Don’t rule out Hendrix Lapierre, though.
Lapierre has quite a bit to prove after having to return to Hershey following a rough start to this season, but D.C. is looking forward to seeing what he can do in camp. He’s also a restricted free agent, so expect something like a bridge deal for the 23-year-old.
The Capitals also have to consider signing some depth defensemen, given how much Martin Fehervary’s injury proved to hurt them in the postseason. I explore that more below.
When it comes to draft needs, I could see Washington potentially choosing to move on from the first-round pick if the right deal comes about. General manager Chris Patrick said he’s open to everything, and D.C. has established an impressive prospect pool over the last few years.
Time will tell, but expect the Capitals to make some tweaks this summer.
Stanley Cup Final
It’s been a thrilling start to the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers, and the Capitals can root for a couple of former players in Vitek Vanecek and Connor Brown in the run.
If I had to pick a winner, I do think it’s Edmonton’s turn to hoist the Cup, and seeing Connor McDavid finally become a champion would be the next step to cementing his legacy. It’s also crazy that he’s already passed Ovechkin in career playoff points.
Personal Hockey Stories
With more off time this summer, I’ve been trying to work on my individual game on the ice. Winter season didn’t go how I’d hoped and my confidence in my playing ability was shot.
As you all know, I’m the captain of my local team, the D.C. Ghost Pirates, and play left wing for them. Only goalie for them as a last resort. Otherwise, I play goal for a Kraken-Capitals themed squad out of Cabin John.
So when I haven’t been sick or working, I’ve been on the ice, practicing skating, shooting, passing, carrying, everything in between. It’s crazy; once I step on the ice I think of nothing at all. It’s kind of nice.
As a left winger, I’m feeling more sure of my overall game and ability. Four points in five games to open the season, but I know I can be much better.
In goal, I’ve been self-teaching with only a few individual coaching sessions. A couple of tips from Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson, too, just in how to carry yourself in the crease. I had my best game ever the other day, a 7-1 win where I stopped 20 of 21 shots.
I also won my first Lower-C game at a higher level a few weeks back, single-handedly ruining the shutout for myself with the thought of “I could really get a shutout here” at the 3:30 mark. It was a goal I let in in classic Sammi fashion: stopped it initially, they kept whacking, it rolled onto my back and in.
Doesn’t beat the game where I let in 13 on 52 when I was first starting out, but I’m doing this huge written series on goalies in the coming weeks, so it’s been fun to play.
But yeah, we’re getting places.
Hope you enjoyed this first offseason notebook. More to come.