Browsing: Washington

They didn’t walk away with a Stanley Cup, but the 2024-25 season should be considered a success for the Washington Capitals.

They finished top of the Metropolitan Division, first-place in the Eastern Conference, won a playoff round, and saw breakout performances from some key players — including Dylan Strome, who finished at a point-per-game clip for the first time in his career.

Oh, and their captain made some NHL history. Not a big deal.

So besides Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, the Capitals had much to celebrate.

Can they do it again, though? Sure, it’s possible.

They already had an above-average PDO, however, and there’s no guarantee that players with career seasons will perform at that level again. Their core continues to age and it seems inevitable that the Capitals will be heading towards some kind of transition sometime soon.

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But, if they were going to go for broke, now would be the time to do it again. After all, you never know how long you’ll have hockey’s greatest goal-scorer at your disposal.

Our penultimate 32 teams in 32 days stop lands in Washington as we preview how the Capitals will shake out this season.

The Capitals added a young depth option when they acquired Justin Sourdif from the Florida Panthers in exchange for two draft picks, and in doing so, they may have offered the the 23-year-old his first real chance as an everyday NHLer. Sourdif has just four NHL games under his belt, three of which came in 2023-24 — the rest of his two-year tenure in the Panthers organization came in the AHL. Dropping a second-rounder, in addition to a sixth-round sweetener, for an inexperienced forward raised some eyebrows at the time, but general manager Chris Patrick insisted it was necessary to acquire a player they’d been high on for a while.

“(The Panthers) had a bunch of people calling on him, so it got to be a competitive situation… we had to decide, ‘Do we want the guy, are we willing to pay up for it, or do we want to take a backseat?â€â€ Patrick told reporters in the summer.

Sourdif developed a scoring acumen during his 149 AHL games, with 35 goals and 96 points across three seasons and it appears Spencer Carbery will give the youngster some reps on the fourth line alongside Nic Dowd and Brandon Duhaime. The Capitals aren’t expecting him to lead their offence by any means, but with an $825,000 cap hit, Washington has a young, low-risk depth option in their pocket.

Buried among some of the more historic storylines for the Capitals last season was the meteoric breakout from forward Aliaksei Protas. The 24-year-old had 30 goals and 66 points in 76 games last season, demolishing his previous career highs of six and 29, respectively. Likely assisting in his career year was the increased opportunity; Protas was playing in the top six for the first time and found chemistry with Pierre-Luc Dubois, who also had a bounce-back year in Washington.

Is it probable he replicates that level of production this season? No. He finished the year with a 21.1 shooting percentage and that is bound to regress. But he’ll likely be paired up with Dubois once more and will get some reps on the second power-play unit — if he maintains a 20-goal pace and provides some solid, consistent secondary scoring, he’ll be more than worth his $3.375 million salary.

Ryan Leonard got his first taste of NHL hockey last April, nine games of it when the Capitals were first-place in the Eastern Conference and vying to lock in favourable playoff seeding. Now, the 2023 eighth-overall pick is heading into his first full regular season with the trust of his coach, who appears ready to slot Leonard in on the top six. The Hobey Baker finalist didn’t immediately light it up after transitioning to the NHL — he had one empty-net goal and one playoff assist across 17 total games — but that’s to be expected.

There is benefit to starting his first full season in October when the slate is fully clear. He’ll have more runway to establish himself, more leeway to make mistakes and rectify them. Leonard scored at least 30 goals in both his Boston College seasons — he won’t do that in his rookie season, but showing he can hang with the Capitals’ top six will be more than enough for his debut campaign to be considered a success.

1. Will this be it for Alex Ovechkin?

The way Alex Ovechkin played last year, you’d think that the winger has several more years of elite hockey left in his system. And that may very well be true, but let’s look at the facts: He just turned 40 years old, he’s already won a Stanley Cup, become the most prolific goal-scorer the NHL has ever seen and is entering the final year of his contract. He has been eligible to sign an extension since July 1, if he so desired. So it’s worth asking, besides making another run at the Cup — which is what the Capitals have in mind for this season — what else is left for the Great Eight to achieve in his career?

For his part, Ovechkin has indicated he wants to play out the year before making a decision on his next steps. He could, for instance, go for 1,000 goals — potentially achievable for him in three years or less. Zdeno Chara played his final NHL game at 45 in 2022, so it’s not unbelievable that Ovi could still be lacing up the skates at 43. But retirement — at least from NHL hockey — seems to still be on the table. Will this be the final season we see Ovechkin on NHL ice? Or will he treat Capitals fans to yet another run at NHL history?

2. Will Pierre-Luc Dubois hit 30 goals?

Dubois has often been one of the most maligned forwards in the league. Perhaps for good reason — the 2016 third-overall pick possesses talent, but not necessarily the penchant to show it. The Capitals are his fourth team, and his latest landing spot after a brief and unsuccessful pit stop in Los Angeles. Dubois has managed to bounce back in his first season with the Capitals, scoring 20 goals and 66 points while suiting up for all 82 regular-season games.

Throughout his eight-year career, Dubois hasn’t found the consistency expected from a top-five pick and has more than once followed up a promising season with a bit of a dud. Still, the 27-year-old has flirted with the 30-goal mark in the past. He’ll be put in similar situations, with similar linemates, in his second season in Washington. Can he follow up a career high in points with a career-high in goals, too?

In his first season with the Capitals, Logan Thompson quickly played his way into the starter’s crease. Starting 42 games last season, he finished the year with a whopping 31-6 record, a career-best 2.49 goals-against average and a very respectable .910 save percentage. He was also playing with a chip on his shoulder, having been snubbed from Team Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster. He’ll enter this year with a similar grudge as he was snubbed from an invite to Canada’s Olympic orientation camp.

Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong has indicated the goaltender spots are the most wide open on their Olympic roster. With a strong start to the season, Thompson can not only put his NHL team in a great position — he can also force the attention of Olympic recruiters.

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ron Washington will not return for a third season as the Los Angeles Angels manager, The Athletic reported.

The Angels hadnâ€t publicly announced their decision Tuesday on Washington, who missed roughly half of the current season after undergoing quadruple bypass heart surgery. Interim manager Ray Montgomery also wonâ€t be the Angels†next manager, according to the report.

The 73-year-old Washington was the oldest manager in the majors during his two seasons with the Angels, who hired him in November 2023. Los Angeles had the worst season in franchise history in 2024, going 63-99 after the free-agency departure of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.

The Angels went 72-90 this season and finished last in the AL West for the second straight season under Washington and Montgomery, the bench coach who stepped up in late June after Washington was sidelined by his health issues. Washington was back around the Angels in uniform at the close of the season, but he didnâ€t resume managerial duties.

Washington repeatedly said he hoped to return as manager next season, but owner Arte Moreno has decided to make yet another change to a franchise that has endured 10 consecutive losing seasons and 11 straight non-playoff seasons — both the longest active streaks in the majors.

Washington had success during his tenure as Texas Rangers manager from 2007-14, reaching two World Series while making three playoff appearances and posting five straight winning seasons. He moved on to coaching roles in Oakland and Atlanta, and he won a World Series ring with the Braves in 2021.

But he couldnâ€t save the long-struggling Angels despite remaining popular with his players and Orange County fans. The Halos will have their fifth full-time manager in eight seasons since the departure of Mike Scioscia, who managed the club for 19 years and won its only World Series title in 2002.

After years of free spending on veteran players by Moreno, the Angels have built the start of a young core with shortstop Zach Neto, catcher Logan Oâ€Hoppe, outfielder Jo Adell and first baseman Nolan Schanuel. That rising talent hasnâ€t led to an improvement in the standings.

The Angels also paid $38.5 million this season to third baseman Anthony Rendon, who didnâ€t play in 2025 due to a lingering hip injury. Rendon, who hasnâ€t played more than 58 games in any of his six seasons with Los Angeles, still has one year left on one of the most disastrous free-agent contracts in major league history.

Four MLB teams have moved on from their managers since the regular season ended Sunday. San Francisco fired Bob Melvin and Minnesota fired Rocco Baldelli on Monday before Bruce Bochy and the Texas Rangers mutually decided Bochy wonâ€t return to the dugout.

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  Alden GonzalezSep 30, 2025, 05:10 PM ET

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  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.

Ron Washington, who missed more than half of the 2025 season after undergoing quadruple bypass heart surgery, will not be returning as manager of the Los Angeles Angels in 2026, he told The Athletic on Tuesday.

Interim manager Ray Montgomery also will not get the full-time manager role in 2026, a source confirmed to ESPN, as the Angels will search for their sixth manager in nine years.

Washington told The Athletic that general manager Perry Minasian told him that the team’s decision to not pick up his contract option was based on the team’s performance — the Angels went 36-38 prior to him leaving — rather than the manager’s health.

“You know, when you’re a competitor, and you’re in charge, none of that stuff comes into play,” Washington told The Athletic. “Sometimes you’ve got to make chicken salad out of chicken s—.

“I have to accept that. I can’t go back to argue with them to try and tell them different when they’ve made a decision. … We were starting to perform better.”

Ron Washington said he had the Angels “going in the right direction” prior to him having heart surgery. “I think the team took on my personality. We were definitely showing that. When everything goes not the way people wanted, you take the blame for it.” Robert Gauthier/Getty Images

Washington, who turns 74 in April and was the oldest manager in the majors this past season, told The Athletic that he never had the opportunity to talk about the team’s decision with Angels owner Arte Moreno. He also said that he’d like to continue managing or join a team’s coaching staff.

The Angels finished with a 72-90 record, accounting for their 10th consecutive losing season. They’ve made the playoffs just once since 2009.

After Mike Scioscia stepped down at the end of the 2018 season, ending a 19-year run that included the franchise’s only World Series championship, the Angels went through Brad Ausmus, Joe Maddon and Phil Nevin as managers over a five-year stretch. None produced more than 77 wins.

Washington, the former Texas Rangers manager and highly regarded infield instructor, was brought in ahead of the 2024 season in hopes that he could mentor a young nucleus headlined by Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel and Jo Adell. However, the team finished with a franchise-record 99 losses.

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The 2025 team showed some promise but wound up finishing last in the American League West for the second straight year, 25½ games out of first.

“I think I had the team going in the right direction, I really did,” Washington told The Athletic. “And it was just too bad that my health came into play. There’s nothing that I can do about that.

“It was my team. I think the team took on my personality. We were definitely showing that. In this business, this is the kind of stuff that happens to you. When everything goes not the way people wanted, you take the blame for it. And I’m OK.”

Washington last managed a game on June 19, when he left the Angels after experiencing shortness of breath and appearing fatigued during a four-game series against the New York Yankees.

He eventually underwent quadruple-bypass surgery but stressed last month that he was in good health and wanted to return as the Angels’ manager in 2026.

“What happened to me saved my life,” Washington said earlier this season, adding that he has quit smoking, changed his eating habits and is sleeping better.

Overall, Washington was 99-137 in two seasons with Los Angeles.

Montgomery’s option also will not be picked up. The rest of the Angels’ coaching staff also had 2026 options, but their status is not yet known.

Perry Minasian, who just finished his fifth season as the Angels’ general manager, is under contract through 2026, though the team has not made a formal announcement about his status.

Albert Pujols and Torii Hunter, two decorated former Angels who currently serve as special assistants with the team, are considered strong candidates to become the next manager — unless owner Arte Moreno seeks someone with more experience.

Washington was the winningest manager in Rangers history, compiling a 664-611 record from 2007 to 2014. He led them to their first two World Series appearances, in 2010 and 2011. After initially returning to the Athletics organization for the 2015 and 2016 campaigns, Washington joined the Atlanta Braves’ staff from 2017 to 2023 and was part of their 2021 World Series championship team.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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ANAHEIM — The Angels will have a new manager in 2026.

Manager Ron Washington, who was placed on medical leave on June 27 and underwent a quadruple bypass heart surgery on June 30, will not have his option picked up, while interim manager Ray Montgomery also wonâ€t be his replacement, a source told MLB.com on Tuesday.

The Angels, however, have yet to make an announcement about the decision to move on from Washington and Montgomery as manager, which was first reported by The Athletic.

Washington, 73, was hired by the Angels prior to the 2024 season and the Angels went 63-99 in his first year at the helm. They improved on that mark this season under Washington, going 36-38 before he was placed on leave.

Montgomery, who had served as bench coach since 2022, took over as interim manager and went 36-52. The Angels suffered a slew of injuries late in the season and went 13-28 over their final 41 games.

The Angels have a pair of internal candidates who have no Major League or Minor League managing experience, but they have expressed a desire to manage in the big leagues. Former Angels Torii Hunter and Albert Pujols are both special assistants to general manager Perry Minasian.

Hunter said in late August that heâ€d manage if the right opportunity came up and joined the Angels on a few of their final road trips and their last homestand while spending time in full uniform in the dugout.

Another potential candidate with a tie to the organization is former longtime Padres and Rockies manager Bud Black. Black was the Angels’ pitching coach from 2000-06 before going on to manage in San Diego from 2007-15 and Colorado from 2017 until being fired this past May.

Former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker is also from the area, attending nearby Aliso Viejo High School. He managed in Miami from 2023-24, winning NL Manager of the Year honors in ‘23. Heâ€s currently a senior advisor to the Rangers.

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The Los Angeles Angels have parted with manager Ron Washington, The Athletic’s Sam Blum reports.

Interim manager Ray Montgomery is also out, according to the report.

Washington, 73, took a medical leave on June 27 and later revealed he had undergone quadruple bypass surgery on his heart. Montgomery took over as interim manager for the rest of the season.

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The Angels will go in a different direction in 2026. The status of general manager Perry Minasian moving forward isn’t clear, per the report.

The Angels made the moves after posting a 72-90 record.

They hired Washington in 2024 after parting with previous manager Phil Nevin. They finished 63-99 in Washington’s first year as manager and in last place in the AL West in both seasons with Washington leading the clubhouse.

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Washington was 10 years removed from his previous managing job with the Texas Rangers when the Angels hired him. He’d since worked as a coach with the Oakland A’s and Atlanta Braves and was on staff when the Braves won the 2021 World Series. He’d previously led the Rangers to consecutive World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.

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The next Angels manager will be tasked with shifting the culture of a franchise that’s long languished in irrelevance. Despite a roster that’s featured Mike Trout for 15 seasons and Shohei Ohtani from 2018-23, the Angels haven’t made the postseason since 2014. Before that, their previous playoff appearance was in 2009.

The Angels have rarely been competitive during their playoff drought. They haven’t posted a winning record since 2015 and have finished in fourth or fifth place in the AL West in eight of the past 10 seasons.

Developing a winning culture, of course, will require a roster capable of winning. Whether that responsibility will lie with Minasian or someone else is unclear.

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The Washington Wizards unveiled their City Edition uniforms Monday, a nod to the iconic gold alternate look the franchise wore from 2006 to 2009.

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Instead of duplicating the previously worn all-gold uniforms, the jersey — which debuts Nov. 16 against the Brooklyn Nets — includes a black stripe in the middle with a white one above “Washington” across the chest. Those elements are taken from Washington’s 2021 “mixtape” City Edition look.

Two black stripes also outline the neckline, shoulders and jersey numbers, with a black side panel on the shorts and waistband.

The black-and-gold uniform design had been a request from fans and players since the City Edition series began in 2017, according to Wizards senior vice president of marketing Rebecca Winn.

✨ Struck gold with our City Edition unis ✨

📣 Learn more: https://t.co/mqwXuOz7Ct
🤠Pres. by @RobinhoodApp pic.twitter.com/lnAPmJnUxI

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) September 22, 2025

“When Nike directed us to ‘remix’ a former City Edition, we immediately thought of the classic Wizards uniform first worn in 2006,” Winn said in a news release.

Inside the “Washington” across the chest is a silhouette of the Washington Monument. The belt buckle includes a revamped Wizards logo. The D.C. hand logo is featured in white with a gold outline on the right side.

In another reference to the 2021 City Edition design, a “DMV” insignia — referencing the D.C., Maryland, Virginia area — appears on the left side of the shorts. The 2021 uniform marked the first time “DMV” appeared on a D.C. area sports team’s uniform.

The Wizards will wear the uniform 29 times during the 2025-26 season. A matching City Edition court will be unveiled at a later date.

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