Author Archives: Justin Trudel

About Justin Trudel

Justin is a lifelong Caps fan, with some of his first memories of the sport watching the team in the USAir Arena and the 1998 Stanley Cup appearance. Now a resident of St. Augustine, FL, Justin watches the Caps from afar. Justin graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Political Science from Towson University, and a Master's of Science in Applied Information Technology from Towson University. Justin is currently a product manager at a non-profit in Jacksonville, FL. Justin enjoys geeking out over roster construction and cap management.

Manning the Pipes: Who Should Start in Goal For The Washington Capitals?

Posted on July 1, 2020

As the NHL prepares for the resumption of play for the 24 team playoff format at the end of the month, there will clearly be plenty of unknowns regarding quality of play. With such an extensive period of no games … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged 2019-2020 Washington Capitals, 2020 NHL Playoffs, Braden Holtby, COVID-19, Ilya Samsonov, Justin Trudel | Leave a comment

Grading the 2019-20 Capitals’ Defensemen (So Far)

Posted on April 20, 2020

As we look back on the Capitals’ performance so far this season, hopeful that the season will pick back up in some fashion relatively soon, we next take a glance at the Caps’ defensive corps, and evaluate their performance so … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged Dmitry Orlov, John Carlson, Jonas Siegenthaler, Justin Trudel, Michal Kempny, Nick Jensen, Radko Gudas | 3 Comments

Grading the Capitals’ Forwards for the 2019-2020 Season (So Far)

Posted on April 8, 2020

Photo: NHL via Getty Images Through 69 games this season, the Caps find themselves atop the Metropolitan Division by a single point over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Capitals’ forward group has a lot to do with the standings position they’re … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged Alex Ovechkin, Brendan Leipsic, Carl Hagelin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Garnet Hathaway, Jakub Vrana, Justin Trudel, Lars Eller, Nic Dowd, Nicklas Backstrom, Richard Panik, T.J. Oshie, Tom Wilson | Leave a comment

What Will the 2020-21 Capitals Roster Look Like?

Posted on March 24, 2020

Prior to the shutdown of NHL operations due to COVID-19, there were reports that the salary cap ceiling could increase to a value between $84M and $88.2M. Given the fact that the NHL may lose revenue from the key stretch … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Roster Moves | Tagged 2020-2021 NHL Salary Cap, 2020-2021 Washington Capitals, Braden Holtby, Brendan Leipsic, Brenden Dillon, Brian Pinho, Colby Williams, Connor Hobbs, Daniel Sprong, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jonas Siegenthaler, Justin Trudel, Kris Bindulis, Liam O'Brien, Lucas Johansen, Radko Gudas, Shane Gersich, Travis Boyd, Tyler Lewington | 9 Comments

Blueline Blueprint: Do the Capitals Have Optimal Defensive Pairings?

Posted on March 10, 2020

Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images Following the acquisition of Brenden Dillon from the San Jose Sharks on February 18, Washington Capitals Head Coach Todd Reirden has been tinkering with different combinations of defensive pairings. This is often a challenging undertaking, … Continue reading →

Posted in Data and Analytics, Defense, Games, News, NHL, Players, Teams, Washington Capitals | Tagged Brenden Dillon, Defensemen, Defensive Pairing, Dmitry Orlov, John Carlson, Jonas Siegenthaler, Justin Trudel, Michal Kempny, NHL, Nick Jensen, Players, Radko Gudas, Washington Capitals | 2 Comments

Dragging Since December: The Analytics Behind the Washington Capitals’ Prolonged Rut

Posted on March 6, 2020

December 8, 2019. The Washington Capitals are 22-4-5, good for 49 standings points, and sit three points clear of the Boston Bruins as the best team in the NHL. The Capitals have a nine-point lead in the Metropolitan Division. Many … Continue reading →

Posted in Data and Analytics, News, NHL, Players, Teams, Washington Capitals | Tagged Games, Justin Trudel, Possession Data, Teams, Washington Capitals, Washington Capitals Data and Analytics | Leave a comment

First Check-In on Ilya Kovalchuk and Brenden Dillon

Posted on February 28, 2020

On February 18th, in an attempt to bolster the struggling Capitals roster, General Manager Brian MacLellan traded Colorado’s 2020 second round selection and a conditional 2021 third round selection to San Jose for Brenden Dillon. Five days later, MacLellan sent … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged Brenden Dillon, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jon Sorensen | 5 Comments

A Deeper Dive on Brenden Dillon

Posted on February 20, 2020

Photo: @Capitals On Tuesday, February 18th, the Capitals traded the 2020 second round selection from Colorado, and a conditional third round pick to the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Brenden Dillon. The fact that MacLellan went after a defenseman near … Continue reading →

Posted in Data and Analytics, News | Tagged Brenden Dillon, Justin Trudel | 3 Comments

Held Together By Holtby – Are the Last Four Games an Indication That Braden Holtby is “Back” ?

Posted on February 18, 2020

Photo: Zak Krill/NHLI via Getty Images It’s been no secret that the Washington Capitals have struggled over the past few months, stumbling to a 10-10-0 record over their last 20 games. While the Caps as a team are still slumping, … Continue reading →

Posted in Data and Analytics, News, NHL, Players, Washington Capitals | Tagged Braden Holtby, Justin Trudel, Players, Shot Data, Statistics, Washington Capitals | 7 Comments

Eller Elevated: How Lars Eller Has Made an Impact While in a Top-Six Role

Posted on February 16, 2020

As Evgeny Kuznetsov recovers from his upper body injury sustained against the New York Islanders on February 10th, Lars Eller has been slotted into his vacancy on the second line with TJ Oshie and Jakub Vrana. Earlier this season, Eller … Continue reading →

Posted in Data and Analytics, News | Tagged Justin Trudel, Lars Eller | Leave a comment