As you may have gathered from the launch of our Discord and maybe other things, Japers’ Rink as we’ve known it is once again changing. But unlike when we moved from Blogger to SB Nation in 2008 (!) or when we left SBN in 2023, this is going to be a more substantive change that is going to essentially shift us from a content provider with a community to a community with some content.

What that means, logistically, is that this site will cease to exist and “Japers’ Rink” will live at the Discord (we also have a Substack a beehiiv, for when we feel like producing content, a thing that has become a little less frequent as obligations and interests have shifted, and we’ll still be active on Bluesky). What that means, substantively, is some things we’ve been doing for more than 20 years – Caps Clips, game recaps, etc. – will be going away (maybe not the only Caps-related thing you’ve enjoyed for two decades that you’re going to have to live without). But if and when we want to write, we’ll still have outlets for it and, as you’ve seen over on Discord, a vibrant forum for real-time discussion.

In many ways, this is a return to our roots. All we ever wanted to do was inform folks who were receptive so that we could have robust conversations about our shared passion. That’s not going away. To paraphrase Thor: Ragnarok, Japers’ Rink is not a place, it’s a people. And as long as the people are still around, so is Japers’ Rink.

Anyway, the timing on when the site itself will shutter is unclear (we’re working on making sure the archives are still accessible), but we’ll keep you posted… just probably not here.

Thanks to all of you who have made this possible and worth doing, and we hope to see you around. We’re guessing we will…

• Cole Hutson learned a lot in his first 14 NHL games with the Washington Capitals, and he’s keeping those lessons in mind for his offseason training. [THN]
• The Hershey Bears announced the schedule for their Atlantic Division Semifinals series with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, which kicks off this Thursday. [Bears]
• The Capitals still see the potential in Hendrix Lapierre, but they also know he needs to start producing consistent results. [THN]
• What do the Caps need to address this offseason at the draft and through free agency and trades? [ESPN]
• A specific area of focus for the Caps this summer: what the blueline looks like with Rasmus Sandin’s injury in mind. [DFO]
• Finally, happy 39th birthday to Taylor Chorney, 33rd birthday to Tyler Graovac, and 38th birthday to Semyon Varlamov!

• Logan Thompson has found plenty of success with the Washington Capitals, and he says it’s because he was able to feel at home in DC quickly. [THN]
• Rasmus Sandin’s ACL injury will almost certainly impact the Capitals’ offseason plans. [THW]
• Ilya Protas was named the AHL’s Most Outstanding Rookie for the 2025-2026 season. [Bears, AHL, THN]
• Speaking of Hershey, the Bears defeated the Bridgeport Islanders 5-2 last night to advance to the Calder Cup Atlantic Division semifinals… [Bears, AHL, THN]
• …and they did so with a certain Great 8 in the crowd!

• Finally, happy 55th birthday to Ken Klee and 66th birthday to Darren Veitch!

…and that’s really all the Capitals’ news that’s fit to clip on this lovely April Thursday.

So, what’s new?

• We want YOU to join us and all the super-cool party people over at the brand new Japers’ Rink Discord! [Rink]
• The Bears took a 1-0 lead in their opening-round series against Bridgeport with their 2-0 victory last night. [Bears, THN]
• The Rasmus Sandin injury likely adds an extra little twist to what was already going to be a busy offseason for the Caps’ front office. [S&S]
• Despite that, GM Chris Patrick is feeling optimistic about being able to snag some top-six support they’re looking for this summer. [THN]
• Cole Hutson has just 14 NHL games under his belt, but he’s already had to face plenty of tough competition. [RMNB]
• Finally, happy 68th birthday to Ryan Walter!

So join us, won’t you? Just click below to get started and we’ll see you there.

– The Japers’ Rink Staff

• We have a lot to say about the Capitals’ season and what the future holds – check it out in our latest roundtable! [Rink]
• Hear from Chris Patrick and Brian MacLellan as they talk about the 2025-26 campaign and their plans for next year and beyond. [Caps video]
• Bad news from the head honchos on Rasmus Sandin, who is expected to miss the start of next season after suffering a leg injury against the Penguins last week. [NHL]
• The most pressing question facing them, of course, is whether Alex Ovechkin calls it quits – but they’ve got a contingency plan in place, regardless of what he decides. [AP]
• Congratulations to Ilya Protas on being named the AHL’s rookie of the month! [Bears]
• Sounds like Sonny Milano is headed to Switzerland, as the soon-to-be UFA is expected to sign with SC Bern. [Watson.ch]
• The Caps may be looking to re-sign deadline acquisition Timothy Liljegren. [S&S]
• Happy 69th birthday to Mark Lofthouse, happy 56th to Stewart Malgunas, and raise a glass to the memory of Miiko Elomo, who sadly passed away at the age of just 47 last February.
• Finally, have you joined our new Discord yet? Click below to come and hang out!

Q1: What is the most pressing need to address this offseason?

Rob: They need some high-end skill, specifically at forward; obviously any team will take elite skill where they can find it, but with Jakob Chychrun and Cole Hutson, they look like they’ll have enough on defense. The forwards, however, are still a bit of a middle-six caliber jumble with no clear scoring threats. Jack Han called out the lack of high end talent as the biggest concern with the Caps during their charmed 2024-25 season, and J.P. recently pointed out how much the Caps struggled coming from behind in 2025-26. This isn’t a new problem, but was exacerbated this year when they didn’t have the whole team hitting career best numbers, inflated by unsustainable shooting percentages.

It’s hard not to think that another elite scoring forward wouldn’t have helped the power play as well (but they also had plenty of talent to be much better than they were in that respect). At the end of the day, who is The Guy that they are going to lean on when they need a goal? Who is The Guy that opposing coaches are going to lose sleep over while game planning for the Caps? They aren’t going to come away from this summer with one of the perennial Art Ross favorites, but they need to find a top line scorer to lean on, whether or not Ovi returns. 

J.P.: Agreed on the need to add high-end talent, of course, but I’m seeing some red flags on the defensive side of things. Here’s a quick look at the score- and venue-adjusted rates of what the Caps have given up at five-on-five over Spencer Carbery’s tenure (via NST):

What stands out are the last five columns (and how they were essentially masked by Logan Thompson’s season, which we’ve discussed before and which shows up in that GA/60 column). That was actually the 9th-highest expected goals-against rate in the League (maybe they didn’t “deserve” a playoff spot after all). And while the trade-off was a tick more offense (expected, but not actual), there were stretches where the Caps’ defense was a little too open for my liking, and something they’re going to need to tighten up going forward, especially as they balance the need to defend with some of the more offensive impulses of a Ryan Leonard or Cole Hutson.

Alex: I agree with Rob, I think a top-six forward is a top priority this offseason. When watching games this season, it was glaringly obvious at times just how much an elite forward would have made a difference. I do think that Tom Wilson stepped up as much as he could considering his skillset, but as important as he is to this team (both on and off the ice), he just doesn’t have that elite scoring touch that so many successful teams in the league do have. I also wonder, however, how much of this glaring need was impacted by Dylan Strome’s lower offensive output this year. Regardless, there was a lot of “we’re one piece away from being a top contender” from several voices in the organization this season, and that piece needs to be a high-end forward who can really help jumpstart the offense.

Becca: Those are three smart hockey people who preceded me and they’re spot on: top-six up front and maybe a little help on the blue line…but I’ll throw out one more, and that is potentially a different backup goalie. Probably not the most pressing need, but maybe something worth exploring. Were Charlie Lindgren’s struggles this season on him or were they on a team that generally had trouble in front of him, and (as JP notes above) were just bailed out more by Thompson? Not sure another goalie would have better luck but if it was something Lindgren was struggling with rather than just a product of playing on a scrambly team, that’s worth taking another look at in the next few months.

Q2: Of the pending UFAs (not named Alex Ovechkin) and RFAs, who is your top priority to bring back?

J.P.: They really don’t have many pending free agents (with the obvious GOAT in the room exception), so I’ll go with Connor McMichael. He may be Lucy-with-the-footballing me here, but I think he can be more of a contributor than he showed this year, if put in the right situation. In a Roundtable towards the end of the season, I said, “he looks to be a fine complementary player if he’s the third-best player on a line, but as a trio becomes more reliant on him to generate offense or to be its defensive conscience, he’s going to find less individual (and likely team) success” and I stand by that.This isn’t a team with so much offensive talent that they can let someone who has some just walk, and this is a profile I think they can work with/around and at a price that should be manageable (I also think he’s a better defensive player than he is showing and a useful penalty killer; via HockeyStats):

Rob: Gotta be McMike, but that might be as much about the lack of other options as it is his performance. We’ll see where he settles in between the highs and lows of the last two seasons, but he looks like a solid middle six complimentary piece. Every team needs those guys, and coming off the low season you would think his re-sign price tag would be more modest. The UFAs that are in that ~50 point range are going to likely be more expensive, older, and frequently less reliable as all-around players. From an asset management, cap management, and roster construction perspective he’s the guy that makes the most sense to keep around. Honorable mention to Trevor van Riemsdyk, because they are going to be looking for RHD this summer and he seems to have embraced the elder statesman role for the young kids, but ideally he should be easier to replace on the open market and would be the 6/7D on a truly competitive team.

Alex: McMichael really is the only name that jumps out on that list, for all of the reasons J.P. and Rob have already listed. To add to Rob’s Trevor van Riemsdyk train of thought, however, I would like to see if the team can bring him back on a cheaper contract. He’s not the defenseman he was when joined the team in 2020 or when he signed his most recent contract in March of 2023, but I think he’s valuable as a RHD and as a penalty killer.

Becca: I’m the head of the TvR fan club so I’d love to see him back – particularly for his mentorship as one of the older guys on the blueline, and as Rob notes, his embracing of that role. The way he has kind of adopted Ryan Leonard as his little brother who you will not touch while he’s on the ice is very sweet. If they decide to move on from him, though, I’d agree on McMichael – although I would actually also like to see if they can hang on to Timothy Liljegren, at least on a short-term deal to see what they have there. Reuniting him with Spencer Carbery (and with Rasmus Sandin) could get the best out of him.

Q3: Who is someone who spent all/most of last year with Hershey you’d like to see get a shot at a full-time spot with the Caps full time next season?

J.P.: Does Ilya Protas count? Because it’s him and it’s not close. But if he doesn’t count, give me Clay Stevenson (which is less about Stevenson and, well, you can extrapolate).

Rob: J.P. took the obvious answers so I’ll say Miro. If he’s not traded this summer as part of a package to upgrade the forward corps, it’s time to play him regularly in the NHL with other forwards that can create offense (at least theoretically). I’m not letting him off the hook entirely for his lack of NHL production, but playing on the fourth line with Duhaime isn’t exactly going to get the most out of him. Time to see what he’s got at the NHL level and figure out whether he’s part of the future here.

Alex: Agreed on all of the above, which are the big names that jump out when you look at the Hershey roster. I’ll also throw Andrew Cristall’s name out there. This was his first AHL season and he’s second on the team in points with 60 (20G, 40A) behind Ilya Protas. 58 points also puts him in the top 20 in scoring for all AHL skaters. He might need another AHL season before he’s ready to make the jump, but I’d like to see the Caps at least give him a chance to earn a spot.

Becca: No, Protas does not count…he’ll definitely be up with the big club next season. My vote is for Miroshnichenko, as well. He’s still only 22, and he’s got two more years until he needs a new RFA deal, so it feels like this is the time to start bringing him along at the NHL level and see if he can stick with better linemates). He’s been one of the best players in Hershey, and while we’ve seen flashes of that up with the Caps, he hasn’t yet figured out how to do it consistently – but it feels like he’s so close to putting it together.

Q4: Let’s hand out some awards and superlatives and other nonsense:

Becca: 

• Team MVP: Logan Thompson
• Unsung hero: Matt Roy
• Most improved player: Rasmus Sandin
• Game of the year: A little recency bias but that last game at home against Pittsburgh, shutting out the Penguins and not letting the visiting fans celebrate even one minute…definitely a high point. Beyond that, the win over the Ducks where Justin Sourdif put up five points was pretty darn fun.
• Most surprising season (bad): Dylan Strome
• Most surprising season (good): Justin Sourdif
• Best Caps NHL debut: Cole Hutson 

J.P.: 

• Team MVP: Logan Thompson
• Unsung hero: Justin Sourdif
• Most improved player: Justin Sourdif
• Game of the year: Can’t remember a single one
• Most surprising season (bad): Connor McMichael
• Most surprising season (good): Justin Sourdif
• Best Caps NHL debut: Ilya Protas

Rob:

• Team MVP: Logan Thompson 
• Unsung hero: Matt Roy
• Most improved player: Ryan Leonard
• Game of the year: Mammoth game on 3/26 where Tom Wilson set his personal record for penalty minutes and Ovi got his last hat trick of the season
• Most surprising season (bad): McMike
• Most surprising season (good): Sourdif
• Best Caps NHL debut: Cole Hutson

Alex

• Team MVP: Logan Thompson
• Unsung hero: Justin Sourdif
• Most improved player: Ryan Leonard
• Game of the year: November 20th in Montreal when Ethen Frank had a four point night (2G, 2A) and Alex Ovechkin scored his first hatty of the season. Honorable mention to January 5th in DC, aka The Justin Sourdif Game™.
• Most surprising season (bad): Dylan Strome
• Most surprising season (good): Justin Sourdif
• Best Caps NHL debut: Ilya Protas

Q5: What is your bandwagon playoff team this spring?

J.P.: Team Meteor.

Becca: The Stars are sort of my Western conference team, so they’re probably my top pick…beyond that, Team Meteor in the East plus whoever is playing the Carolina Hurricanes.

Rob: Vegas Golden Knights 😏

Alex: Utah could be a fun team to root for, so maybe them. Fully on board with Team Meteor in the East though.

Q6: Hand out some grades, please:

J.P.:

• Players: C+
• Coach: B-
• GM: B-
• 2025-26 Season overall: C 

Rob:

• Players: C+
• Coach: B-
• GM: B-
• 2025-26 Season overall: C 

Alex:

• Players: B-
• Coach: B+
• GM: B
• 2025-26 Season overall: C+

Becca:

• Players: B-
• Coach: B
• GM: B+
• 2025-26 Season overall: C 

Q7: Finally…is this it for 8, yes or no?

J.P.: No.

Becca: No.

Rob: No.

Alex: No.

• Ivan Miroshnichenko shared some insights on his time with the Washington Capitals, being around Alex Ovechkin, and his pride in seeing teammate Ilya Protas find success at the NHL level. [RMNB]
• Speaking of Ilya Protas, the Hershey Bears announced their end-of-season awards yesterday, and he appears quite a few times on the list. [Bears]
• The Bears also announced the schedule for their first round series against the Bridgeport Islanders to kick off their AHL postseason. [Bears]