Young Winger Key to Capitals' Championship Hopes

The Washington Capitals are a vastly improved team this season and the same can be said for one of their most important young players.

Nov 9, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Washington Capitals center Connor McMichael (24) shoots and scores against the St. Louis Blues during the first period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Over the last two decades, if you were asked who the biggest goal scoring threat is for the Washington Capitals there was only one answer. Even when other players managed to have career seasons, Alex Ovechkin maintained a strangehold of that moniker.

And as Ovechkin hunts down Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record, there is a gentle shift happening for the Capitals. Yes, Ovi is still the unquestioned offensive force in Washington, but for 23-year-old forward Connor McMichael, this could be the start of him assuming that role.

It is McMichael's third full season with Capitals after the team selected him in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft. Last year was a glimpse into his potential, as he notched 18 goals and 33 points. This year, he's approaching those goal scoring numbers within the first 20 games of the season.

McMichael is on an absolute tear to start the 2024 campaign. In his first 16 games, he's averaging over a point per game, including 12 goals and six assists. Playing on a line with Tom Wilson and Pierre-Luc Dubois, the young winger is playing the best hockey of his career and it's propelling him to being the top goal scoring threat in Washington.

More importantly for the Capitals, the team's championship hopes might be resting on the young forward's shoulders. When the team hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2018, they received an influx of contributions from young players. Wilson was 23, Jakub Vrana was 21, Andre Burakovsky was 22, and Evgeny Kuznetsov led the team in playoff scoring at age 25.

This season, the Washington organization doesn't have to search far to figure out where their young talent will emerge from. McMichael has clearly taken the next step. He's proved that he's not only ready for a larger role, he's showing that he is challenging for the top goal scorer on the team and his production could be the difference maker for a hungry Capitals team.

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