It's official now, the NHL has announced its plans for the 2020-2021 (really only 2021 but oh well) season which is set to start on January 13th! Alexa Shaw, Nick Ashooh and JJ Regan walk you through all the details and discuss what the East division will look like with the Bruins, Sabres, Devils, Islanders, Rangers, Flyers, Penguins and Capitals. Hockey is coming back and we've got you covered all the time at NBCSportsWashington.com and right here on the Capitals Talk podcast!

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Well, this is not the news we were hoping for from the Capitals today but it's the news we've got: Henrik Lundqvist will not play in the 2021 season due to a heart condition. We're all hoping that The King gets well soon.

But what next for the Capitals? Nick Ashooh and JJ Regan take a look back at Hank's career before Brent Johnson joins JJ to discuss options for Ilya Samsonov's backup and if the Caps can still be considered in the running for the Stanley Cup with Samsonov as the #1.

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On this episode of the Capitals Talk podcast, Nick Ashooh and JJ Regan are joined by former Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner to discuss what's next for him after opting out of the 2020 postseason with Montreal. Alzner looks back fondly on his time in Washington and gives some behind-the-scenes details that helped a pair of his former teammates blossom into the superstars they are today.

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Nick Ashooh and JJ Regan are joined by the legendary Doc Emrick to discuss everything from his favorite moments through Alex Ovechkin's illustrious career to why he thinks the 2021 Capitals will be in the mix for the Stanley Cup in the season ahead. Conversation also includes Doc's new memoir, Off Mike, a perfect gift for any hockey lover on your holiday list!

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The Hershey Bears new video coach Emily Engel-Natzke joins the podcast this week to discuss her new role with the Chocolate and White and what it means to her to be the first female coach in the Capitals organization. She talks to Alexa Shaw about her journey in hockey and leaves future generations of hockey coaches with excellent advice to get where they want to go in their careers.

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Nick Ashooh and JJ Regan are joined by two former Capitals goalies in Olie Kolzig and Byron Dafoe to go back in the memory bank to their scrap, tussle, dance, whatever you want to call it, which just turned 22 years old on November 22nd. We couldn't let them go without asking some current questions too as they hit on the Reverse Retro jerseys, how they would feel as players negotiating for a season right now and what to expect from the dynamic duo of Ilya Samsonov and Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes this season.

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Nick Ashooh and JJ Regan dive into the latest rumblings around the start to the next NHL season and what it means for Caps fans. JJ is very upset with the early looks at potential divisions that could see the Caps and Pens playing in different divisions but is much happier about the return of the Screaming Eagle with the Reverse Retro jerseys unveiled throughout the league. The Holtbys' move from D.C. to Vancouver hit a bit of a snag and although it went slower than hoped (tortoise pun?!?), all the Holtbys are safe and sound North of the Border and you get a bonus story from Tim McDonough about traveling across the border in the trunk of a car in his youth.

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Nick Ashooh and JJ Regan break down what Alex Ovechkin telling a Russian television station that he wants to end his career playing for Dynamo Moscow means for his future in Washington and the future of the Capitals franchise (1:00). Discussions then go to what Ovi might get for his next contract (15:30) and how the rest of the league views the Caps captain (22:00). Finally, JJ weighs in on why Daniel Sprong should be the answer at 3rd line RW (28:30) and the potential for Washington to move a defenseman before next season starts (33:00).

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JJ Regan is joined this week by the Voice of the Hershey Bears Zack Fisch to discuss which prospects might be coming up the pipeline to Washington. Could Daniel Sprong be the answer at 3rd line right wing for the Capitals? Fisch certainly thinks so. He also lays out the rest of the forwards who could see action for the big club and what all the offseason additions on the blue line mean for Martin Fehervary and Alex Alexeyev. Plus, Fisch takes a peek between the pipes at what could be one of the best 4-deep goalie groups in hockey with Ilya Samsonov and Henrik Lundqvist in Washington and Vitek Vanecek and Pheonix Copley in Hershey.

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Nick Ashooh and JJ Regan are joined by NHL.com Senior Writer Dan Rosen to discuss Henrik Lundqvist's role in Washington, where the Capitals stack up in next season's Metropolitan Division and the latest on the NHL's plans to start the coming season (7:00). The boys then take a look at the latest Eastern Conference odds thanks to our partners at PointsBet Sportsbook (19:00).

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