That the 2024-25 iteration of the Washington Capitals is much improved over the previous version of the club is well-worn ground at this point. They’re 48-17-9 (105 points) through 74 games after finishing last season 40-31-11 (91 points), and currently boast a plus-71 goal differential, a turnaround of more than 100 goals over 2023-24’s widely mocked minus-37-but-playoff-bound mark. They sit atop the Eastern Conference, one-point behind League-leading Winnipeg with a game in hand.
Roster gambles like Pierre-Luc Dubois and shrewd deals like sending Nick Jensen to Ottawa for Jakob Chychrun have paid off in spades, free agent role players have filled in admirably in said roles, and veterans have rebounded from subpar seasons.