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Washington Capitals: Full line combination predictions for 2018-19

By Griffin Youngs

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 12: Tom Wilson #43, Alex Ovechkin #8, Andre Burakovsky #65, and John Carlson #74 of the Washington Capitals celebrate during the Washington Capitals Victory Parade And Rally on June 12, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 12: Tom Wilson #43, Alex Ovechkin #8, Andre Burakovsky #65, and John Carlson #74 of the Washington Capitals celebrate during the Washington Capitals Victory Parade And Rally on June 12, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 04: Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (74) reacts after scoring on a power play in the second period against the Vegas Golden Knights on June 4, 2018, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 04: Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (74) reacts after scoring on a power play in the second period against the Vegas Golden Knights on June 4, 2018, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Defensemen

First pair: LD-Dmitry Orlov, RD-Matt Niskanen

Dmitry Orlov has evolved into a first pairing defender over the last two seasons, and he’s just starting to enter his prime at 27 years old. He’s not a superstar defenseman, but he does nothing poorly. Every year he continues to look better and better, and now with a refined defensive game to go along with his natural offensive talent, Orlov should continue where he left off in the playoffs and be the reliable top pairing defenseman the Capitals can trust to log around 25 minutes a game.

Matt Niskanen has been as consistent as they come since signing with the Capitals in 2014. No matter who he’s paired with, Niskanen is a lockdown defender that can be relied on to log 25 or more minutes a game and be a force on both ends of the ice. Niskanen is also easily the most underrated player on the team, considering the fact that without him in the lineup this whole roster could fall apart. His defensive stability, consistency, and leadership cannot be understated, and he’ll continue to be the Capitals unsung hero.

Together, Orlov and Niskanen have been the Capitals most reliable pairing, and have been inseparable since the 2016-17 season. There’s no chance these two get split up anytime soon, especially after their incredible postseason.

Second pair: LD-Michal Kempny, RD-John Carlson

Michal Kempny was a throw away healthy scratch in Chicago before being dealt at the trade deadline to Washington, and turned his whole career around with a strong playoff showing on his new club once he was given the chance. The Capitals have seen how trade deadline acquisitions can blow up in a teams face, but Kempny was the perfect fit and the final piece the Capitals needed for their Stanley Cup run, and he gelled perfectly with the now head coach Todd Reirden. With a secured future, a strong relation to the head coach, and chemisty with the rest of the team, Kempny looks to be a solid top four option and partner for John Carlson for years to come.

John Carlson signed an eight year contract this past offseason after an astounding career year followed by an even better postseason. The hope now in Washington is that Carlson continues his outstanding pace now that he’s being paid $64 million over the next eight years, and that his 30 point production uptick wasn’t just a one off. There are stretches where Carlson looks like beneficiary of Ovechkin on the power play, but he proved this past season that he is a threat everywhere on the ice in any situation. Currently in his prime at 28 years old, John Carlson could be looking at an even better season if he continues improving, and could even become a contender for the Norris trophy if all goes right.

Third pair: LD-Brooks Orpik, RD-Christian Djoos

Brooks Orpik will be interesting an interesting case to watch this season. After another lackluster regular season, Orpik made up for it with a surprisingly solid postseason before being traded and bought out by the Colorado Avalanche in the offseason. The Capitals brought him back on a year contract to bolster their back end, and bring back the leadership that led them to the Stanley Cup. However there should be no more tolerance for his stretches of poor play at 38 years old, especially when they have Madison Bowey ready to earn a full time NHL spot.

Christian Djoos should be an interesting case to watch this upcoming season. Early in his rookie season he was thrust into a top four slot alongside John Carlson, and seemed to be doing alright for the first half of the season. He sputtered after that, only recording seven assists over the next half of the season and playoffs combined, but his possession numbers are superb and just needs to clean up some aspects of his game. Having either Brooks Orpik or Madison Bowey as a defense partner won’t help his numbers, but the talent is all there for him to take a step toward being a top-four defenseman this season, and could potentially have a breakout season.

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