And away we go, episode one thousand two hundred ninety-nine of the Al-Galdi podcast. It is Thursday, April 9th, 2026, and the Washington

Capitals remain alive in their battle to make the Stanley Cup playoffs a 4-0 win at the Toronto

Maple Leafs on Wednesday night. Yes, the Caps 8-1 loss at the New York Rangers this past Sunday night was brutal, and we may look back at that loss as the fatal blow.

But the Caps in the NHL's 2025-2006 regular season now have 89 points, three points out of both the Eastern Conference's second of two wild card spots and third place in the Metropolitan Division

as the top three teams in each division make the postseason. Much more on the caps,

including an update on whether this season is winger Alex Ovechkin's final NHL season later in the show.

Hello and welcome to this Thursday installment of the Al Galdi podcast,

the most comprehensive show of any kind about Washington, D.C. area sports. Good to have you with us.

Two weeks from today is the first round of the 2006 NFL draft, which will take place in Pittsburgh.

Next segment, a conversation with a man who knows the NFL draft well, and who is from the Pittsburgh area, NFL draft analyst, Tampa Bay Buccaneers analyst, and Pittsburgh Steelers analyst, John Ledyard of Audubles and Analytics on Substack.

John joined us on episode 1,290 of this podcast to discuss what the Washington commanders have and having signed Bucks

unrestricted free agent running back Rashad White last month and explained why the commanders

should not be so quick to take Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love with their number

seven overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft. Well, next segment, lots more from John regarding

Washington in the draft,

a breakdown of the possibility of Washington trading down from seven with a quarterback needy

team wanting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson and analysis of two premium positions that have come up a

good bit as potentially being addressed by Washington at 7 receiver and edge defender.

Wait until you hear who John has as the number one edge defender in this draft.

John Ledyard next segment.

And also on the show, I'll talk Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles,

so that that's now have lost seven of their last eight games, a six-one

...