The Washington Capitals seem to be back to their old playoff ways. Since lifting the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history in 2018, they've failed to reach the Eastern Conference Final in each of their last six playoff appearances.
On Thursday, the Capitals were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes after losing Game 5 of their second round series 3-1. It was a very premature ending for the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed, especially after Washington completely revamped it's roster to not only support Alex Ovechkin catch Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record but also compete at the highest level.
4 players that may not return to Washington after Capitals second round exit
Most of the players Washington brought in made their impact during the regular season but there are a few that could have played their final game in a Capitals sweater.
Anthony Beauvillier - Right Wing
The 27-year-old was a solid acquisition at the trade deadline (from rival Pittsburgh, no less) adding much-needed depth. However, he only logged five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in 18 games once he arrived in Washington, plus two goals in the playoffs.
General manager Chris Patrick may be inclined to re-sign the impending free agent winger and give him a full year's opportunity to prove his worth. Or he could look the open market for a cheaper option and give rookie Ryan Leonard more time on a higher line to develop.
Lars Eller - Center
The man who literally won the Stanley Cup for the Capitals in 2018 with his Game 5-winning, third period goal against Las Vegas, Eller returned to Washington (via Pittsburgh as well) after a journeyman's stint with multiple other teams.
At 36, the Danish centerman may be near ready to hang up his skates. He was a healthy scratch by head coach Spencer Carbery on Thursday in Game 5, indicating his efforts just weren't enough lately. His 20 points this regular season are the lowest he's tallied since 2022-23 and it doesn't appear as if he has the same impact on the ice as he used to have.
Andrew Mangiapane - Left Wing
The 29-year-old was acquired via trade with the Calgary Flames during the offseason and he provided some key depth on offense. He recorded 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists) but that was his lowest offensive output since the Covid-shortened 2019-20 season.
Mangiapane is an unrestricted free agent this summer and he could command a decent enough market that would price Washington out for the kind of services he may or may not provide next season. He's on the potential downslide of his career given his age and would be a high risk, medium return signing if Patrick decides to re-enlist him.
Taylor Raddysh - Right Wing
Raddysh, 27, was never meant to be an offensive boon to the Capitals but he was a reliable veteran who didn't make many mistakes that resulted in goals going the other way. That being said, he did find himself on the wrong end of multiple healthy scratches towards the end of the year so Leonard could get starts under his belt.
Given that he was the odd man out in that situation, there doesn't seem to be a huge need to bring the impending free agent back into the fold. The Capitals have many prospects they could call up to give opportunities like they did Leonard and Raddysh may have to continue his journeyman career elsewhere.
LTIR Baggage (3 players)
In addition to the players that saw the ice this season that may not return for the 2025-26 season, there are a few that never got a chance to play at all.
Forwards Sonny Milano, T.J. Oshie and Niklas Backstrom were all placed on long-term injured reserve for the entirety of the 2024-25 season. Oshie and Backstrom, both long-time Capitals and fan favorites, will see their contracts expire this summer and most likely with them their NHL careers. The pair have suffered from chronic pain that's kept them off the ice for significant parts of multiple seasons.
Milano also dealt with a nagging injury that just wouldn't heal but last year he was also a frequent healthy scratch, indicating his favor with the club was already running out. Fans can expect all three to likely be on their way out officially.
Washington's roster looked a lot different than it had for the last five or six seasons entering this year and it could very well be altered even further heading into Ovechkin's final year under contract as a Capital.