Playing in his second stint with the Washington Capitals, one veteran center recently discussed what it means to go on another Stanley Cup run.
Washington Capitals center Lars Eller knows how to win in the NHL. The veteran of over 1,100 games has lifted the Stanley Cup before, and he's looking forward to making another run at it this year with the Caps.
Of course, when the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018, Eller was a huge piece of the puzzle. An 18-goal regular season paired with 18 points in 24 postseason contests was the perfect complement to their championship run.
Seven years later, the Caps have a drastically different roster, with only a handful of players from the 2018 team remaining. Speaking with RG, Eller talked about how much the team has changed for the better since being traded away a few seasons ago, calling them "nuts" in the process.
"It’s a little different. I think this team is more nuts, not as much skill and high-scoring ability," he said. "Now we don’t have a Kuznetsov-type of player. We have different kinds of players that may be stronger defensively, but also a lot of the same with very physical guys like Ovi and Tom."
According to Eller, what remains is a championship expectation. In his evaluation, despite all the changes, Stanley Cup contention is what connects both of his tenures with the organization.
"But it’s still, I think, a team that has a chance and has all the assets to win playoff rounds and to win a Stanley Cup. So some things are the same and some things are new, but everything changes a little."
With less than 20 games remaining in the regular season, the Capitals have already clinched a spot in the postseason. They have a sizable lead in the Metropolitan Division and are in contention for the President's Trophy, given to the team with the best record at the end of the regular season. Above all of that, they are contenders once again.
