According to CapFriendly, the Washington Capitals enter the 2020-21 season with the NHL’s oldest roster as their players have an average age of 29.7, 1.1 more than the second-oldest (the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings), after signing 43-year-old defenseman Zdeno Chara to a one-year contract on Wednesday. The Red Wings finished in last place in the NHL standings by 23 points last season.
The Capitals’ roster could get even older if 39-year-old goaltender Craig Anderson, who signed a professional tryout agreement with the team on Sunday, signs with them. If Anderson does, the Capitals will enter the season with an average age of nearly 30.5.
The Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning, the two defending Stanley Cup Finalists, enter the season with an average age of 28.2 (sixth-oldest) and 28 (tied for seventh), respectively.
The Boston Bruins have the next oldest team in the division with an average age of 27.9. The New York Islanders follow at 27.8. The Pittsburgh Penguins have the fourth-oldest at 27.9, which is also the league average. Then come the Philadelphia Flyers (26.8; tied for eighth-youngest in NHL), Buffalo Sabres (26.7; seventh), New Jersey Devils (26.1; third), and New York Rangers (25; youngest).
You can see where all the teams rank below:
Based on current roster projections, here’s all 31 NHL teams ranked by average age. pic.twitter.com/yPOnpEzx6C
— CapFriendly Depth Charts (@CF_DepthCharts) January 1, 2021
Last October the Capitals had the 10th oldest team in the league, with an average age of 27.9 years entering the 2019-20 season.
The average age of an NHL player was 27.3 years old.
PREVIOUS TALES OF THE TAPE:
- 2020-2021 Capitals 2nd oldest team in NHL
- 2019-2020 “Capitals Tale Of The Tape”
- 2018-2019 “Capitals Tale Of The Tape”
- 2017-2018 “Capitals Tale Of The Tape”
- 2016-2017 “Capitals Tale Of The Tape”
- 2015-2016 “Capitals Tale Of The Tape”
By Harrison Brown