WASHINGTON CAPITAL QUARTER-CENTURY TEAMS
First team
Attackers
Nicklas Backstrom
T.J. Oshie
Alex Ovechkin
Defenders
John Carlson
Mike Green
Guardian
Braden Holtby
Attackers : No player has scored more than Ovechkin (870 goals) in the last quarter century, and with four more goals in January, he is now 21 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record (894) . He led the NHL in goals a record nine times and won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2006 and the Hart Trophy as the team’s most valuable player three times. (2008, 2009, 2013) as well as the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs when the Capitals won their first championship in 2018. Backstrom, who stopped playing last season due to a lingering hip injury, is the Capitals’ all-time assists leader with 762, including 279 on Ovechkin goals, and is second in the final quarter of century for points (1033), behind Ovechkin (1577). Oshie joined the Capitals in a trade with the St. Louis Blues in 2015 to play on the top line with Ovechkin and Backstrom, and he became an important part of their core by accumulating 385 points (192 goals, 193 assists ) in 567 games before a back injury kept him sidelined this season.
Defenders : Carlson was the leader among Capitals defensemen in the last quarter century with 698 points (154 goals, 544 assists). He ranks third in Capitals history with 1,046 games played in the regular season, behind Backstrom (1,105) and Ovechkin (1,447). Green led all NHL defensemen with 31 goals and 73 points in 2008-09, when he finished second in voting for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top defenseman. He accumulated 360 points (113 goals, 247 assists) in 575 games during his 10 seasons with Washington (2005 to 2015).
Guardian : Holtby may have earned a spot on this first team simply because of his spectacular stick save against Alex Tuch of the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. But he also been the leader among Capitals goaltenders during the quarter century with 282 victories in the regular season spread over 10 seasons with them (2010 to 2020), which also places him second in team history, behind Olaf Kolzig (301). Holtby won the Vezina Trophy, given to the NHL’s top goaltender, in 2016, when he tied Martin Brodeur’s record with 48 victories in a season.
Second team
-Attackers
Peter Bondra
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Tom Wilson
Defenders
Sergei Gonchar
Dmitry Orlov
Guardian
Olaf Kolzig
Attackers : Bondra is second in Capitals history with 472 goals, including 143 in 324 games between 2000 and 2004, before he was traded to the Ottawa Senators. Kuznetsov had 568 points (171 goals, 397 assists) in 723 games with Washington from 2014-2024, but was at his best during the run to the Cup in 2018, when he led the playoffs in scoring with 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 24 games. Wilson’s combination of toughness (2,383 hits) and talent (363 points) in 797 games over the quarter century has made him a fan favorite over the past 12 seasons.
Defenders : Another key player from the 2018 championship, Orlov is second in the last quarter century among Capitals defensemen with 686 games played between 2011 and 2023, and fourth with 256 points (60 goals, 196 assists ). Gonchar played 10 seasons with the Capitals, including five at the start of the quarter century during which he amassed 274 points (85 goals, 189 assists) in 333 games.
Guardian : Kolzig leads Capitals goalies in games (482) and starts (476) over the last quarter century, and he posted 218 of his 301 wins with Washington from 2000 to 2008. He averaged of 2.75 and an efficiency percentage of .908 with 23 shutouts during this period.
Coming Sunday : Montreal Canadiens Quarter-Century Teams.
