Capitals players distraught after Nic Dowd's trade to Vegas: 'What if we won against Utah? Would it have been different?'

"One of my first thoughts, coming in this morning when I heard the news, was, 'What if we won against Utah? Would it have been different?' said Hendrix Lapierre. Lapierre himself nearly tied that game against the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday, flying into the offensive zone before launching a shot from the slot, but goaltender Karel Vejmelka made the save."

"What if I scored? Maybe the decision was already done. But when you lose a friend like that, it makes you rethink a couple of things. When asked about Lapierre's comments, head coach Spencer Carbery grimaced, visibly emotional. God, that tugged a little bit, he said, rapping his knuckles against the podium."

"Tuesday's loss didn't stand alone, of course, merely the last misstep in a season that's failed to live up to the Cinderella story that saw the Capitals win the Eastern Conference in 2024-25. Many of Washington's players have taken a step back after career seasons, and what had been a cakewalk to the playoffs last year has become a shaky hope."

The Washington Capitals dealt a long-tenured player to the Vegas Golden Knights, ending his eight-season tenure with the team. The trade left players questioning whether recent losses, particularly against Utah, could have changed the outcome. Hendrix Lapierre reflected on a missed scoring opportunity in that game, wondering if a different result might have prevented the trade. Head coach Spencer Carbery acknowledged the emotional difficulty of the situation. The Capitals, currently four points behind Boston for a playoff spot, have underperformed relative to their 2024-25 Eastern Conference championship season, with several players declining from career-best performances.

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