2003–04 Washington Capitals season
The 2003–04 Washington Capitals season was the Capitals's 30th season of play. The team finished in fifth and last-place in the Southeast Division, and fourteenth overall in the Eastern Conference to miss the playoffs.
Offseason
Regular season
The Capitals were the most penalized team in the League, with 401 power-play opportunities against. They also scored the fewest short-handed goals in the League, with just 4.Final standings
Schedule and results
Playoffs
The Capitals did not qualify for the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs.Player statistics
Regular season
;Scoring| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG |
| C | 63 | 29 | 45 | 74 | 24 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 2 | |
| D | 56 | 7 | 42 | 49 | 44 | -20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 79 | 19 | 27 | 46 | 56 | -21 | 7 | 0 | 2 | |
| RW | 46 | 16 | 29 | 45 | 26 | -4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | |
| RW | 54 | 21 | 14 | 35 | 22 | -17 | 12 | 0 | 4 | |
| C | 66 | 9 | 22 | 31 | 8 | -10 | 6 | 0 | 2 | |
| C | 54 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 38 | -16 | 6 | 1 | 2 | |
| LW | 52 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 36 | -2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | |
| RW | 68 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 32 | -19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| RW | 49 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 18 | -7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| D | 37 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 30 | -10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 71 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 37 | -9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| D | 80 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 89 | -28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 72 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 123 | -22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 44 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 14 | -2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| D | 65 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 105 | -12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 19 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| LW | 66 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 38 | -23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| C | 41 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | -9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 65 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 108 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 15 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 8 | -6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 64 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 90 | -10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 41 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 45 | -11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 35 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 18 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 30 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 28 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 37 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 135 | -6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| RW | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 63 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 17 | -4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
;Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T/OT | GA | GAA | SO | SA | SV | SV% |
| 3738 | 63 | 19 | 35 | 9 | 180 | 2.89 | 2 | 1958 | 1778 | .908 | |
| 365 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 3.12 | 1 | 210 | 191 | .910 | |
| 211 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 3.13 | 0 | 100 | 89 | .890 | |
| 258 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 3.02 | 0 | 141 | 128 | .908 | |
| 369 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 3.41 | 0 | 168 | 147 | .875 | |
| Team: | 4941 | 82 | 23 | 49 | 10 | 244 | 2.96 | 3 | 2577 | 2333 | .905 |
Awards and records
Transactions
Roster
Draft picks
Washington's draft picks at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee.| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club Team |
| 1 | 18 | Eric Fehr | Brandon Wheat Kings | |
| 3 | 83 | Stephen Werner | University of Massachusetts | |
| 4 | 109 | Andreas Valdix | Malmo Redhawks | |
| 5 | 155 | Josh Robertson | Proctor High School | |
| 8 | 249 | Andrew Joudrey | Notre Dame Hounds | |
| 9 | 279 | Mark Olafson | Kelowna Rockets |