NHL EDGE stats: Tuch, Kyrou trades can help Capitals bounce back

NHL.com's fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Today, we look at three underlying reasons the acquisitions of Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou can help the Washington Capitals bounce back in 2026-27.

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EDGE STATS INSIGHTS 📊

Ovechkin returning

B. Tkachuk to FLA

Markstrom to FLA

Bobrovsky to TOR

McKenna to TOR

D. Raddysh to TOR

Dorofeyev to NYR

Byram to CHI

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1. Goals by location

Tuch was acquired by the Capitals in a sign-and-trade with the Buffalo Sabres on June 24 after Washington landed Kyrou in a separate deal with the St. Louis Blues on June 23. The moves have a chance to boost the Capitals offense and make them a Stanley Cup Playoff team again out of the Metropolitan Division. Washington, which finished second in the NHL standings and won its division just two seasons ago, have added Tuch, Kyrou and Boone Jenner to strengthen its roster with Alex Ovechkin set to return for the 2026-27 season.

This season, Tuch became one of three NHL forwards over the past 20 years to have at least 30 goals (33), 90 blocked shots and 80 hits (82) in a single season (others: Auston Matthews in 2023-24; Mike Richards in 2008-09). Kyrou, meanwhile, is one of three Blues players since 1994-95 to have three straight 30-goal seasons (others: Vladimir Tarasenko had five straight from 2014-15 to 2018-19; Keith Tkachuk had three straight from 2001-02 to 2003-04).

Tuch and Kyrou give the Capitals' top-nine forward group and power-play units outstanding depth and bounce-back potential for next season; Washington, which missed the playoffs this season, ranked 15th in goals per game (3.18) and 25th on the power play (17.8). In terms of shots by location, Tuch has been one of the NHL's best from high-danger zones, while Kyrou has dominated midrange zones during his best goal-scoring seasons.

Tuch ranked in the 95th percentile among forwards in high-danger goals (18) last season after ranking in the 96th percentile in that category two seasons ago (19 in 2024-25). Kyrou, meanwhile, ranked in the 95th percentile among forwards in midrange shots on goal (82) last season.

When Kyrou scored 36 goals with St. Louis in 2024-25, he ranked among the NHL’s top 10 in both midrange shots on goal (111; tied for sixth) and midrange goals (16; tied for seventh). During the 2022-23 season, when Kyrou scored career-high 37 goals with Blues, he ranked fourth in the entire League in midrange goals (20). But Kyrou, who played mostly on a separate line from St. Louis’ top center Robert Thomas last season, was held to 18 goals (his lowest total since 2020-21) as the Blues missed the postseason.

In terms of shots by type, Tuch is among the most versatile goal-scorers in the NHL considering he was one of four NHL players with at least 10 wrist shot goals (11), 10 snap shot goals and five goals tipped (six) last season; the others were Kirill Kaprizov, Adrian Kempe and Morgan Geekie. From 2022-23 to 2024-25, Kyrou scored 29 snap shot goals, tied with Ovechkin and others for 11th in the NHL over that span.

Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer (929) and Washington’s longtime captain, ranked highly in midrange shots on goal (108; tied for sixth) last season but took a step back in midrange goals (nine; tied with Kyrou in 89th percentile among forwards) compared to 2024-25 (16; also tied with Kyrou among League’s top 10). The Capitals also have elite goal-scoring defenseman Jakob Chychrun (leads position with 26 midrange goals over past two seasons combined) but, as a team, only ranked 17th in high-danger goals (124) and 18th in midrange goals last season (77).

Jenner, who ranked in the 85th percentile among forwards last season in hardest shot (90.27 mph), finished in the 91st percentile at his position in long-range shots on goal (20) and 79th percentile in midrange shots on goal (44) with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 33-year-old has ranked in the 92nd percentile or higher among forwards in high-danger goals in three of the past five seasons; 17 in 2023-24 (92nd percentile), 17 in 2022-23 (92nd percentile) and 19 in 2021-22 (95th percentile).

2. Skating speed

Tuch and Kyrou bring plenty of speed to Washington's offense; Tuch ranked highly among forwards in max skating speed during the 2026 postseason (22.82 mph; 87th percentile), while Kyrou was a standout at his position in that category this regular season (23.04 mph; 86th percentile). Kyrou ranked highly among forwards in 20-plus mph speed bursts last season (142; 85th percentile), and Tuch was close behind in that category (137; 83rd percentile).

In four of the five seasons during the NHL’s puck and player tracking era (since 2021-22), Kyrou has ranked in the 85th percentile or higher among forwards in max skating speed:

• 2025-26: 23.04 mph (86th percentile)
• 2024-25: 23.14 mph (90th percentile)
• 2022-23: 22.87 mph (85th percentile)
• 2021-22: 23.71 mph (98th percentile)

Per NHL EDGE IQ, Tuch scored nine goals off the rush (within five seconds of team crossing offensive blue line) last season, which was tied for second on the Sabres behind Tage Thompson (13). Tuch was also second on Buffalo with 154 inferenced shot attempts off the rush (behind Thompson's 182); inferenced shot attempts exclude those taken from outside of 60 feet or beyond the goal line and empty-net situations.

Kyrou, meanwhile, scored eight goals off the rush last season and led the Blues with 136 inferenced shots attempts off the rush. Washington, as a team, ranked 25th in the League in goals off the rush (77), showing a potential area of improvement from these offseason moves.

3. Scoring depth with Ovechkin returning

Washington has one of the best top-nine forward groups in the NHL after acquiring Tuch, Kyrou and Jenner, followed by Ovechkin's return for a 22nd NHL season. Ovechkin has led the Capitals in goals in each of his 21 seasons, by far the most of any player for a single team in League history. With Ovechkin returning this season, it’s worth noting that Kyrou will be his first teammate to score at least 35 goals in a single season since Alexander Semin (40 in 2009-10).

Kyrou ranked in the 92nd percentile among forwards in even-strength offensive zone time percentage (43.5) last season and was in the 88th percentile at his position in that category at all strengths (45.2), while Tuch was below the NHL average in both categories. Even with Ovechkin, the Capitals had the fourth-worst offensive zone time percentage as a team (39.7) last regular season.

Kyrou, meanwhile, led Blues skaters in both 5-on-5 shot attempts differential (plus-144) and 5-on-5 shot attempts percentage (54.3) last season, indicating he could benefit from a better supporting cast and take on a featured role if needed. Tuch, who helped Buffalo end its 14-season playoff drought, was third among Sabres forwards in 5-on-5 shot attempts differential (plus-59) during the 2025-26 regular season and fifth among their regular forwards in 5-on-5 SAT% (53.9) during the playoffs.

With the additions of Kyrou, Tuch and Jenner, along with late-season impact prospects in defenseman Cole Hutson (10 points in 14 games) and forward Ilya Protas (four points in four games; joined line with brother Aliaksei Protas), sophomore forward Ryan Leonard, and potential bounce-back seasons from centers Dylan Strome and Pierre-Luc Dubois, the Capitals have an upward trajectory for what could be Ovechkin’s last season in the NHL.