Despite winning six games in a row, the Washington Capitals‘ longest in over a season, the team has been missing key players due to injuries for the first time in a while. Here are all the injury updates from Thursday’s Capitals practice: 

Center Evgeny Kuznetsov, who has missed the past six games with an upper-body injury, took contact for the first time and is expected to return to the lineup when the Capitals host the New Jersey Devils at Capital One Arena tomorrow night. He took line rushes next to forwards Jakub Vrana and Brett Connolly on the second line and practiced on the top power-play unit. Kuznetsov, 26, has yet to be medically cleared.

Kuznetsov certainly looks like a guy who’ll play tomorrow. He’s practicing on the top power play. Took line rushes. Caps say he hasn’t been medically cleared … yet.

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) November 29, 2018

Captain Alex Ovechkin took a maintenance day with an upper-body injury after being a full participant in yesterday’s practice. Center Travis Boyd took his spot on the power-play and the top line next to center Nicklas Backstrom and forward Tom Wilson. It appears as if the team expects him to play against the Devils.

Boyd also filling Ovechkin’s spot on first PP unit.

Seems to indicate Capitals expect Ovechkin to play tomorrow vs. New Jersey

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) November 29, 2018

Forward Devante Smith-Pelly skated with the forwards with skills coach Mark Nemish prior to practice and took line rushes on the third line with center Lars Eller and forward Andre Burakovsky. He missed practice yesterday due to a lower-body injury.

Ovechkin practiced full yesterday.

Devante Smith-Pelly (lower body) is with rest of forwards working with skills coach before practice today after not skating with team yesterday. https://t.co/9NgS0T5Lh6

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) November 29, 2018

Defenseman Michal Kempny also skated after missing practice yesterday due to a maintenance day. Smith-Pelly and Kempny each told the media that they expect to suit up against the Devils tomorrow night after practice.

In other injury news, Kempny, Devante Smith-Pelly and Kuznetsov are scheduled to skate. Kuznetsov has not yet been officially cleared.

— JJ Regan (@JJReganNBCS) November 29, 2018

Forward T.J. Oshie is still not skating due to an upper-body injury. He has missed the past six games and has not participated in a full practice yet. Oshie was on the bench prior to practice yesterday shooting pucks but was not in uniform.

Still not skating. https://t.co/zJxZj5fJjg

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) November 29, 2018

By Harrison Brown