2015–16 Washington Capitals season
The 2015–16 Washington Capitals season was the 42nd season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on June 11, 1974. The season began its regular games on October 10, 2015 against the New Jersey Devils.
Standings
Schedule and results
Pre-season
Regular season
Playoffs
Player statistics
Final stats;Skaters
| Player | ||||||
| 82 | 20 | 57 | 77 | 27 | 32 | |
| 79 | 50 | 21 | 71 | 21 | 53 | |
| 75 | 20 | 50 | 70 | 17 | 36 | |
| 82 | 22 | 30 | 52 | 15 | 36 | |
| 80 | 26 | 25 | 51 | 16 | 34 | |
| 74 | 17 | 29 | 46 | 12 | 16 | |
| 82 | 20 | 20 | 40 | 0 | 22 | |
| 56 | 8 | 31 | 39 | 16 | 14 | |
| 79 | 17 | 21 | 38 | 4 | 12 | |
| 82 | 5 | 27 | 32 | 10 | 38 | |
| 82 | 8 | 21 | 29 | 8 | 26 | |
| 82 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 3 | 163 | |
| 82 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 14 | 26 | |
| 57 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 0 | 24 | |
| 72 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 16 | |
| 41 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 24 | |
| 43 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 50 | |
| ‡ | 60 | 1 | 6 | 7 | −7 | 16 |
| 55 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 21 | |
| 39 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 8 | |
| † | 20 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 22 |
| 24 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | |
| 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| † | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 28 |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 2 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 2 | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −3 | 2 | |
| ‡ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ‡ | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 0 |
| Player | ||||||
| 12 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 2 | |
| 12 | 5 | 7 | 12 | −2 | 4 | |
| 12 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 8 | |
| 12 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 11 | |
| 12 | 3 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 14 | |
| 12 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 2 | |
| 12 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | |
| 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | |
| 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 12 | |
| 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −4 | 8 | |
| 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 6 | |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 4 | |
| 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −3 | 13 | |
| 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −3 | 2 | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −3 | 10 | |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 |
;Goaltenders
| Player | ||||||||||||||
| 66 | 66 | 3841:11 | 48 | 9 | 7 | 141 | 2.20 | 1802 | .922 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | |
| 22 | 16 | 1111:53 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 43 | 2.32 | 523 | .918 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Player | ||||||||||||||
| 12 | 12 | 732 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 21 | 1.72 | 363 | .942 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Capitals. Stats reflect time with the Capitals only.
‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Capitals only.
Bold/italics denotes franchise record.
Roster
Suspensions/fines
Notable achievements
Awards
| Player | Award | Awarded |
| NHL First Star of the Week | October 26, 2015 | |
| NHL Second Star of the Week | November 30, 2015 | |
| NHL Second Star of the Month | December 1, 2015 | |
| NHL Second Star of the Week | December 21, 2015 | |
| NHL All-Star game captain | January 2, 2016 | |
| NHL Second Star of the Month | January 4, 2016 | |
| NHL All-Star game selection | January 6, 2016 | |
| NHL All-Star game selection | January 6, 2016 | |
| NHL First Star of the Week | January 11, 2016 | |
| NHL All-Star game replacement selection | January 28, 2016 | |
| NHL First Star of the Month | February 1, 2016 |
Milestones
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
| 200th Career NHL Point | October 10, 2015 | |
| 400th Career NHL Game | October 13, 2015 | |
| 1st Career NHL Game | October 15, 2015 | |
| 100th Career NHL Game | October 15, 2015 | |
| 1st Career NHL Assist | October 15, 2015 | |
| 900th Career NHL Point | October 20, 2015 | |
| J. Carlson | 200th Career NHL Point | November 5, 2015 |
| 484th Career Goal; Most Goals scored by Russian | November 19, 2015 | |
| 700th Career NHL Game | November 19, 2015 | |
| 200th Career NHL Game | December 8, 2015 | |
| 600th Career NHL Game | December 8, 2015 | |
| 200th Career NHL Point | December 8, 2015 | |
| 600th Career NHL Point | December 8, 2015 | |
| M. Niskanen | 600th Career NHL Game | December 10, 2015 |
| 900th Career NHL Game | December 18, 2015 | |
| N. Backstrom | 600th Career NHL Point | December 18, 2015 |
| 100th Career NHL Game | December 31, 2015 | |
| A. Ovechkin | 800th Career NHL Game | January 9, 2016 |
| 100th Career NHL Game | January 9, 2016 | |
| A. Ovechkin | 500th Career NHL Goal | January 10, 2016 |
Transactions
The Capitals have been involved in the following transactions during the 2015–16 season.Trades
;Notes- Buffalo to retain 50% of salary as part of trade.
Free agents acquired
Free agents lost
Claimed via waivers
Lost via waivers
Lost via retirement
Player signings
Draft picks
Below are the Washington Capitals' selections at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, to be held on June 26–27, 2015 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club Team |
| 1 | 22 | Ilya Samsonov | G | Russia | Metallurg Magnitogorsk |
| 2 | 57 | Jonas Siegenthaler | D | Switzerland | ZSC Lions |
| 5 | 143 | Conner Hobbs | D | Canada | Regina Pats |
| 6 | 173 | Colby Williams | D | Canada | Regina Pats |
;Draft notes
- The Washington Capitals' second-round pick will go to the Calgary Flames as the result of a trade on March 1, 2015, that sent Curtis Glencross to Washington in exchange for a third-round pick in 2015 and this pick.
- The Montreal Canadiens' second-round pick went to the Washington Capitals as the result of a trade on June 27, 2015, that sent Buffalo's third-round pick in 2015 and a fourth-round pick in 2015 to New York in exchange for this pick. The Rangers previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on June 27, 2015, that sent Cam Talbot and a seventh-round pick in 2015 to Edmonton in exchange for Ottawa's third-round pick in 2015, a seventh-round pick in 2015 and this pick.
- The Washington Capitals' third-round pick will go to the Calgary Flames as the result of a trade on March 1, 2015, that sent Curtis Glencross to Washington in exchange for a second-round pick in 2015 and this pick.
- The Washington Capitals' fourth-round pick went to the New York Rangers as the result of a trade on June 27, 2015, that sent Montreal's second-round pick in 2015 to Washington in exchange for and Buffalo's third-round pick in 2015 and this pick.
- The Washington Capitals' seventh-round pick will go to the Winnipeg Jets as the result of a trade on June 28, 2014, that sent Edward Pasquale and a sixth-round pick in 2014 to Washington in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2014, Nashville's seventh-round pick in 2014 and this pick.