Washington ready for action as season gets underway

The Washington Capitals are pleased to announce our forward lines for season 31:

Line 1 – Beast Line: Vladimir Tarasenko (LW) Steven Stamkos (C) Brent Burns (RW)

All three are beasts in every face of the game – hard-hitting, lightning quick, and gifted offensively. Tarasenko is the quintessential Russian first-line winger that's been making Caps fans drool for years. Stamkos is the pivot who can score in his sleep and anchors the line, while Burns is the wise veteran who doubles on D, when needed, playing a 200 foot game.

Line 2 – Eagle Line: Rickard Rakell (LW) Nick Bonino (C) Ondrej Palat (RW)

Their eagle eye instincts and vision is second to none and includes a solid ability to score with about a +10 per more defensive skill. Bonino plays a 2-way centre game – collecting assists merely by winning the draw and keeping the puck out of the defensive zone on the penalty kill. Both Rakell and Palat provide potent and fearless secondary scoring who can each jump up to the first line on a dime's notice. Palat and Stamkos have a history of playing together.

Line 3 – Bear Line: Zach Hyman (LW) Nick Suzuki (C) Mattias Janmark (RW)

Every season, the Caps ice a Bear line which is made up of players who have come up from our system – either drafted by the organization and/or developed in Hershey. This season's iteration might be a first in that all three players are Caps' draftees. They can each chip in offensively, are mostly responsible defensively, and can move up or down the line-up as needed. We'll keep an eye on Suzuki's performance in the big league.

Line 4 – Beaver Line: Derek Grant (LW) Brad Richardson (C) Scott Laughton (RW)

The Caps are rounded out by an industrious and hard-working group of Canadians. These guys grind away at their opponents, love to hit, go into the corners, and retrieve the puck in enemy territory. This year's iteration includes a particular ability to score more consistently.

Anaheim looks to rebound after strong season doesn't result in playoff success



Anaheim Next Season Line combos

1st Line (C) Patrice Bergeron ------(LW) Pavel Zacha --------- (RW) Ryan Couture
2nd Line (C) Ryan Strome -------(LW) Alexander Radulov ---- (RW) Anthony Duclair
3rd Line (C) Mikeal Backlund ---(LW) Michael Grabner --------(RW) Jonathan Drouin
4th Line (C) Curtis Lazar ------- (LW) Sven Baertschi ----------(RW) Richard Panik

Defensive Pairings

1st Pair Victor Hedman -------- Ryan Graves
2nd Pair Sami Vatanen --------- Jake Muzzin
3rd Pair Sea Theodore --------- Marcus Pettersson
4th Pair Victor Hedman --------- Kevan Miller

FORWARD LINES

The 1st line has great offensive potential with the ability to play defense when needed. They have youth sandwiched between our two top veteran forwards. This is our go to unit.

The 2nd line has great speed with youth and a healthy dash of veteran presence. This line has scorers that have good puck handling and passing abilities. This group has some bite and can sneak up and bite you in the ass.

The 3rd Line Has a little of everything They have a Defensive specialist along with forwards that have scoring, passing, and puck handling ability. Two of these players are capable of playing on the 1st or 2nd lines if need be.

The 4th Line Is made up of players that can hold their own against almost any line. Their main purpose is not to give up any goals and to score an occasional goal themselves. We feel they are more than capable of doing just that.

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS

1st Pair, Has a Star defenseman and a shutdown defenseman. Hedman can jump in the play and carry the mail knowing that Graves has his back and will be there to shutdown any attempted breakaways by their opponents. Both have good speed, size and a strength.

2nd Pair, This defensive pair know each other well. They have been playing together as a pair for several seasons with the Ducks. They are both great all-round defensemen that can move the puck for breakouts and play good defense. They are always there for their goalie and seldom leave their goalie out to dry.

3rd Pair, These guys have lots of offensive skill and they play their best defense by playing offense and keeping the puck in their opponents end on the ice. They also have enough speed to get back on defense when needed.

4th Pair, Our top defenseman logs extra minutes with the 4th Pair. Hedman does everything he does so well on the 1st Pairing when paired with Miller who is capable of playing the role that Graves fills on the 1st Pairing.

All in all, most of the faces are the same as last seasons but this is the season for the young players to step up and show their stuff.