The Capitals’ roster this season is providing a unique challenge for Spencer Carbery’s coaching staff, as the next generation of the organization’s forwards is beginning their ascent to the NHL.
The team’s core that helped the Caps finish atop the Eastern Conference last year — including Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson, Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Nic Dowd, and Jakob Chychrun — is assimilating with prospects like Ryan Leonard, Hendrix Lapierre, Justin Sourdif, and Ethen Frank.
While the Capitals’ slow start has the team sitting outside of a playoff spot, it has had other ramifications as well. Carbery has had to lean more heavily on his veterans than the team’s youth at the start of the year. The sacrifice, at times, is fewer minutes for a first-round talent like Leonard, and the faster he develops, the better off the team will be in the long run.
“Leno is someone that I’m always in the back of my mind trying to get him in certain situations,” Carbery said Wednesday. “One, because he can excel in those situations, and he can score a goal in the shootout or use his skill set and provide quality minutes for us on the power play or playing in a top-six role. And then, the other part in the back of my mind is the experience part of it, which is important. Giving him the opportunity and knowing that there’s going to be some failure there.
“That’s part of being a young player in this league. He needs to go through those growing pains and fail in some of those circumstances, learn from it, and come back. And you hope that he learns from all those situations and comes back better prepared the next time he goes through it.”
Carbery’s comments come after Leonard played just 9:19 of ice time against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, the lowest single-game total of his 25-game NHL career. The Capitals closely battled their division rival, not going up more than two goals until Ovechkin iced the game into an empty net with 31 seconds left in regulation.
Leonard, who grabbed an assist on Chychrun’s power play goal, was not the only young forward on the team impacted by the context of the game, as his two linemates, Sourdif and Lapierre, suffered more than he did. Sourdif, the center of the third line, played just 7:18 of the game, and Lapierre played just 6:28, neither getting any special teams time.
“Last night, him and his line don’t play as much as I would like,” Carbery said. “I think that’s a one-off from a standpoint of the circumstances of the game on the road, the special teams, us being in the spot we are, where we’re protecting a lead. I thought they were really unlucky with the goal against they get dinged with. It’s just unfortunate, they’re on the ice for it.”
To Leonard’s credit, he has made great use of the ice time he has received from Carbery this season, as among the 434 players in the league with at least 200 minutes of total ice time, Leonard ranks 111th in points per 60 minutes (2.34). He is placed ahead of names like Auston Matthews (2.32), Nikolaj Ehlers (2.31), Robert Thomas (2.29), Anze Kopitar (2.23), Matvei Michkov (2.16), and Artemi Panarin (2.03).
In 16 games this year, Leonard has recorded eight points (3g, 5a). He had just one point, an empty-net goal, in nine games last season.
Carbery elaborated further on how he balances giving Leonard and other young players those moments of experience versus relying heavily on his veterans to try to win games. The Capitals are playing exceptionally well analytically this season, but don’t yet have the record (8-7-1) that puts them in a playoff spot.
“It’s not an exact science,” Carbery said. “It’s why it’s hard in this league to have a plethora of young players when you’re expecting to win every night. It’s not an easy position to be thrust in, not only from the coaches trying to manage it and the minutes part of it but also for the players themselves because there’s an expectation that goes with the coaching staff and then also their teammates that you have to be able to make this play, this read, or decision in this moment because we need it to be done right in order to win the game.
“It’s a challenge, but I think our young guys are doing a good job with it, and it’s my job to sort of put them in positions to be successful and manage their minutes and make sure that I’m looking after the whole group and them individually. Then it’s on them to continue to just improve and learn and continue to get a little bit better with each and every game and each and every moment that they’re in, so that they earn that trust, and then they can be successful in those situations.”
Carbery and the Capitals will have to approach even more of the same situations in the coming years as players like Ovechkin, Carlson, and Dowd approach the end of their NHL careers. Highly-touted prospect names like Ivan Miroshnichenko, Cole Hutson, Ilya Protas, Andrew Cristall, and Lynden Lakovic will be looking to join Leonard in the big leagues very soon.
As the 2025 NFL season intensifies, Geno Smith has made one thing abundantly clear: he’s not interested in the off-field chatter, the opinions of critics, or the narratives being spun by the media.
Smith has faced his fair share of criticism throughout his career, with his time with the Seattle Seahawks and now his tenure with the Raiders providing plenty of moments for pundits to weigh in. After a series of inconsistent performances, there’s no shortage of narratives being built around his future in the NFL. But Smith isn’t concerned with the noise — he’s determined to prove himself on the field.
A New Focus: One Play at a Time
For Smith, it’s all about his next opportunity to lead his team to victory. Despite a rough start to the season with the Raiders, Smith is focused on putting the past behind him and moving forward. His statement is a clear indication that he’s choosing to focus on what he can control — his performance, his leadership, and the results on the field.
“I’ve learned to block out the distractions,” Smith continued. “At the end of the day, it’s about what happens when you step onto that field. The rest doesn’t matter. I’m here to play ball, and that’s where my focus is.”
This mindset comes at a critical juncture for Smith. The Raiders are looking for consistency from their quarterback, and Smith knows that he needs to step up and lead this team. With a solid supporting cast around him and a coaching staff committed to his success, Smith is ready to show the world that he’s capable of more than the ups and downs he’s been labeled with in the past.
The Opportunity Ahead
Week 11 is shaping up to be a pivotal moment in Smith’s season. As the Raiders face a tough opponent, the quarterback’s ability to block out the noise and deliver on the field will be crucial. With his statement, Smith is making it clear that he isn’t going to be defined by the criticism or the narrative that surrounds him. His focus is laser-sharp, and he’s determined to let his play do the talking.
For the Raiders, Smith’s commitment to his role and his no-nonsense approach could be the spark they need to get back on track. His leadership will be key to executing the game plan and finding success in the high-stakes moments. And for Smith, his chance to prove himself on the field has never been more important.
No More Excuses
At this point in his career, Geno Smith has nothing left to prove to anyone except himself. He’s already overcome plenty of obstacles, and now it’s all about taking responsibility for his role in the offense and leading his team with conviction. The past is behind him, and the future is in his hands. Smith has the chance to rewrite the narrative — and he’s doing it with one clear focus: football.
As the Raiders head into the second half of the season, the pressure is on. But with Geno Smith’s mindset firmly on the field, the distractions of the outside world won’t be a factor. The only thing that matters now is what happens when he takes the snap. No distractions, no excuses — just football.