The Washington Capitals gave fans their first real look at a completely rebuilt power play Saturday, and the message from the new coaching staff was blunt.
"Let's build this thing from scratch," new assistant coach Ray Bennett told the group, according to head coach Spencer Carbery.
That kind of reset was necessary. Washington scored on just 17.8 percent of its power plays last season, the team's worst mark since 2011-12, finishing 25th in the league.
The first unit stayed mostly familiar. Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Jakob Chychrun ran together in practice.
Strome posted 58 points in 80 games last season, and Chychrun added 60 points with 8 power play goals, giving that unit real continuity even under new coaching.
The second unit looks completely different, featuring offseason additions Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou alongside rookies Ilya Protas, Ryan Leonard, and Cole Hutson.
Leonard posted 45 points in 75 games last season, taking over Ovechkin's traditional spot at the dot on that second unit.
Why Carbery wants two units, not a strict hierarchy
"We feel like we have 10, 11, 12 really good power-play players, and all deserve to have an opportunity," Carbery said, describing a plan built around riding whichever unit is hot rather than a rigid first-and-second structure.
Bennett previously ran power plays for the Islanders and Avalanche, working with elite talents like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, experience Carbery specifically pointed to.
"Ray has a ton of experience with some really, really high-end power plays, and inevitably they go stale," Carbery said. "That's where the experience of making subtle adjustments comes in."
Rasmus Sandin remains out until at least December 21 following ACL surgery, removing a player who's previously quarterbacked Washington's second unit.
Timothy Liljegren has power play experience from his time in Toronto and San Jose, but he's typically been used in more of a depth role here.
Hutson sounded genuinely excited about learning from the new voice. "You can tell his knowledge is there. Can't wait to get a chance to pick his brain," Hutson said.
With just four preseason games before opening night, Washington has very little time to actually test any of this before it counts for real.
Will the Capitals' power play finally turn around under Ray Bennett this season?
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