NHL EDGE Stats: Capitals are among the most improving teams

Every Friday during the season, NHL.com director and senior fantasy editor Pete Jensen takes a look at the latest trends and storylines around the league using NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Today he discusses the Washington Capitals' surprising start to the season.

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The Washington Capitals have been one of the most improved teams in the NHL through the first month of the season, and their advanced metrics show they could have staying power in the Metropolitan Division standings.

The Capitals, off to a 7-2-0 start, rank fourth in the NHL in shot attempt percentage (53.7 percent), a metric that traditionally indicates success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Washington has qualified for the 2024 postseason, but this season's team looks markedly different than the one that was defeated by the New York Rangers in four games in the Eastern Conference first round.

Through a combination of impactful offseason moves and the organization's development of young talent, the Capitals appear poised to be a contender again – and help legendary forward Alex Ovechkin set the NHL's all-time scoring record . Ovechkin, who won the Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018, has five goals in nine games this season and is 36 goals (858) shy of Wayne Gretzky's career mark (894).

According to NHL EDGE stats, Ovechkin still has one of the hardest shots in the league; His top shooting speed (94.67 mph) is in the 95th percentile league-wide and ninth among forwards. But the Capitals' impressive performance goes far beyond their captain.

Striker Connor McMichael, who particularly made a splash as a center player during the Capitals' playoff push last season, is showing signs of a real breakthrough on the wing with 10 points (five goals, five assists) and 27 shots on goal in his first nine games . According to EDGE statistics, McMichael is in the 93rd percentile in fastest running speed (22.79 miles per hour) and is also among the league's leaders in high-danger goals (three; 92nd percentile) and high-danger shots on goal (12; 94th percentile). .

The 23-year-old McMichael scored one goal on 10 shots in the Capitals' 5-3 home win over the Rangers on Tuesday, marking the most goals scored in a single game of the NHL season. And while McMichael has found chemistry between Pierre-Luc Dubois (acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings) and Tom Wilson, Ovechkin also has new wrinkles on his line.