Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny returned to skating activities on Friday at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. Kempny has been out since he injured his Achilles’ tendon back in October.
Caps D Michal Kempny (Achilles) skated on his own before practice today.
Looks like he’s just starting out. Original timeline for his recovery from his surgery in October was 6-8 months.
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) February 19, 2021
The Capitals announced on October 6 that Kempny would miss 6-8 months after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon. That would put him on track to return sometime in between April and June 2021.
#Caps defenseman Michal Kempny, who suffered an Achilles injury in early October, is on the ice before practice getting in a cautious skate. pic.twitter.com/L3WnIhMlKR
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) February 19, 2021
The 30-year-old recorded three goals, 18 points, and a team-leading +19 rating in 58 regular-season games during the 2019-20 season after missing the first eight while recovering from core muscle surgery that occurred on April 2, 2019.
Kempny recorded one assist and a -2 rating in five Stanley Cup Playoff games but was a healthy scratch for the final three games of the Capitals’ first-round series against the New York Islanders.
In 232 career NHL games with the Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks, the 30-year-old has recorded 14 goals, 61 points, and a +58 rating.
Kempny recorded a 50.35% Corsi-for percentage and a 49.54% expected goals-for percentage this past season.
He was demoted from the top defensive pairing after Dillon was acquired from the San Jose Sharks on February 19 and was even a healthy scratch for one game.
By Jon Sorensen
Great the Kempny can now skate again. And also spend time with his new son, Adam. The Caps will have to figure out what to do with their numerous defensemen.
Yep, that’s gonna be a tough one. He could be odd man out. He’s still not due back for 6-8 weeks, so he will have little time to ramp up if he does return.