Before being recruited by the Washington Capitals in 2023, Mitch Love was already a known name in the hockey community. A two-time AHL coach of the year honoree, Love was expected to do great things with the Caps. However, as fate would have it, just weeks before his third season with the 2018 NHL champs, Spencer Carbery’s coaching staff had his world turned upside down.

NHL Network’s David Pagnotta took to X on September 14 to share how the Capitals’ defense coach faces a tumultuous time in his career. Sharing the OG post by Washington, which notes that Love has been placed on team-imposed leave, Pagnotta wrote, “Per sources, NHL began to investigate a matter during the off-season, around the time he was interviewing with clubs about vacant HC roles.”

While the official Capitals’ account refrained from commenting on the matter, some industry insiders claim that the NHL began its investigation after it received a letter about Love’s personal conduct. Two teams that Love was interviewing with also received similar letters. However, the important factor to note here is that the allegations against Love’s conduct were from the time before he was part of Carbery’s staff.

While further details on the whole matter are still foggy, the NHL reportedly began an investigation into the Washington Capitals’ coaching staff in the summer. As a result, Love will not be present for the team’s training camp on Wednesday, nor will he be aiding head coach Carbery for the on-ice activities slated for Thursday. Goes without saying that Caps fans will be feeling extra squeamish in their stomachs with their defense coach being put on leave just days before the season starts.

According to some news sources, Love had been interviewing with several NHL franchises over the summer for a possible head coach role. From the Seattle Kraken and the Boston Bruins to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Capitals’ assistant coach’s name has been linked with several of their peers in recent weeks. While Love didn’t make it to the NHL as a player, he did come into hockey’s top league with years of experience in the minor leagues. As the head coach of the Stockton Heat (2021-22) and the Calgary Wranglers (2022-23), Mitch amassed a combined record of 96-33-11.

Naturally, with such an experienced defensive coach being forced to stay away from the team would be a significant blow. The NHL has reportedly only made the Capitals aware of the allegations brought to its attention and notified the team about the ongoing investigation, without going too deep into the same. Washington, reportedly, will decide on Love’s future with the team following the NHL’s findings.

So, where does that leave Alex Ovechkin & Co.?

How will the Washington Capitals cope?

The Caps didn’t exactly have a memorable season in 2024-25. Despite the last season witnessing team captain Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record to become the league’s all-time highest goalscorer, Washington barely made it to the playoffs before getting eliminated from the Stanley Cup race by the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2. Their performance was so dire that even the “Gr8 Chase” couldn’t entice fans to tune in to watch the scintillating rundown of the Great One’s fabled milestone.

During the series against the Canes last season, Spencer Carbery was noticeably livid. In a podcast episode in May, Elliotte Friedman even noted how the Capitals’ locker room situation wasn’t the best and that the team would have to work hard to face the challenges. With such a shambolic run in the 2024-25 season, Mitch Love’s absence from the locker room will only amplify the fans’ worries.

However, Spencer Carbery is a prolific coach in his own right. Undoubtedly, he will find a solution to keep the team morale high even amidst such turmoil. But will the team be able to reciprocate? What do you think?