COL at WSH
Colorado Avalanche at Washington Capitals. Preview from the model, the licensed feeds and last season's measures. Nothing here is a betting recommendation.
- Model now
- Expected score
- Market
- —
- Venue
- Capital One Arena
What the model says now
Lineups not yet published: each club's usual lineup assumed. Starting goalie not confirmed: goaltending held at league average. This estimate moves until the ledger freezes it before puck drop.
Source: CapOrCup game model (derived from club ratings, rest and starters)
What the schedule did to each side
Nights off, back-to-backs, third games in four nights, road-trip position and travel since the last game, from the statistical schedule. Shown as facts; rest is in the price, travel is not.
1 night off · game 3 of a road trip
1 night off
In goal
The league names no starter before puck drop. First on each club's depth chart, from the licensed feed, is the expected starter.
Mackenzie Blackwood
Logan Thompson
Expected lines
What each club intends per the feed's depth chart, with each forward's shooter rating (Elo, against the goalies faced last season). A listing is the club's statement, not a game sheet.
Colorado Avalanche
L1 Artturi Lehkonen (below the league middle) · Nathan MacKinnon (above the league middle) · Nazem Kadri (bottom tenth of the league)
L2 Gabriel Landeskog (below the league middle) · Brock Nelson (above the league middle) · Martin Necas (top tenth of the league)
L3 Jaden Schwartz (above the league middle) · Fedor Svechkov (below the league middle) · T.J. Hughes
D1 Devon Toews (below the league middle) · Cale Makar (above the league middle)
D2 Brett Kulak (below the league middle) · Noah Juulsen
PP1 T.J. Hughes · Nazem Kadri (bottom tenth of the league) · Nathan MacKinnon (above the league middle) · Martin Necas (top tenth of the league) · Cale Makar (above the league middle)
Washington Capitals
L1 Alex Ovechkin (below the league middle) · Ilya Protas · Aliaksei Protas (below the league middle)
L2 Alex Tuch (top tenth of the league) · Justin Sourdif (below the league middle) · Tom Wilson (above the league middle)
L3 Ryan Leonard (above the league middle) · Dylan Strome (above the league middle) · Jordan Kyrou (below the league middle)
D1 Jakob Chychrun (top tenth of the league) · Timothy Liljegren (below the league middle)
D2 Martin Fehervary (above the league middle) · Vincent Desharnais
PP1 Tom Wilson (above the league middle) · Dylan Strome (above the league middle) · Ryan Leonard (above the league middle) · Alex Ovechkin (below the league middle) · Jakob Chychrun (top tenth of the league)
Who the clubs list as out
Club-announced listings relayed by the licensed feed. No cause is inferred; Day To Day players are shown but not counted as out.
Colorado Avalanche
Georgii Merkulov (C): Out (undisclosed), listed since 2026-09-28, expected back 2026-10-28
Logan O'Connor (RW): Out (lower-body), listed since 2026-09-28, expected back 2026-10-25
Nicolas Roy (C): Out (lower body), listed since 2026-10-14, expected back 2026-10-23
Zachary L'Heureux (LW): Out (upper body), listed since 2026-10-13, expected back 2026-10-23
Washington Capitals
Justin Sourdif (RW): Out (illness), listed since 2026-10-16, expected back 2026-10-20
Matt Roy (D): Out (lower body), listed since 2026-10-03, expected back 2026-10-20
Patrick Thomas (C): Out (upper-body), listed since 2026-09-19, expected back 2026-10-24
Pierre-Luc Dubois (LW): Out (illness), listed since 2026-10-10, expected back 2026-10-20
Rasmus Sandin (D): Out (knee), listed since 2026-04-20, expected back 2026-12-26
Who has the whistle
Named by the league, usually near puck drop. Each referee's record is from last season's play-by-play penalties; ranks are distance from league norms.