We are now halfway through the Washington Capitals 2021 preseason schedule with the fourth of six games set for Monday night against the Devils in New Jersey. After assigning three more players to the Hershey Bears, the Capitals released their roster for the game Sunday afternoon following practice.

Vitek Vanecek is expected to play all three periods of tomorrow’s game against New Jersey, per Laviolette.

Beck Malenstyn, the Capitals’ fifth-round choice, 145th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft, will play in his second game of the preseason tonight against New Jersey. In his preseason debut against Boston on Sept. 26, Malenstyn recorded a game-high seven hits and led Capitals forward in shorthanded time on ice (2:36). Malenstyn appeared in three games with Washington in 2019-20, making his NHL debut on Nov. 20, 2019, against the New York Rangers.

Capitals game notes can be found here.

Sammy Sidelined

Ilya Samsonov, who played the entire game against the Flyers on Saturday night, did not participate in Capitals’ practice today. He has a lower-body injury, per the team. He will be re-evaluated tomorrow.

“At this point in camp when guys have been on the ice for awhile, and something happens, you proceed with caution … he was able to finish the game. It is not something that happened after the game when he got in there, something just popped up for him,” said Laviolette.

Roster Moves

The Washington Capitals announced on Sunday afternoon they have assigned three players to the AHL’s Hershey Bears.

Left-wing Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (who was put on waivers), right-wing Brett Leason, and left-wing Joe Snively were all cut from the team’s training camp roster.

The up-to-date training camp roster: [Click to enlarge]

The Capitals continue their preseason slate on Monday at the New Jersey Devils (7 PM ET, not televised) and will begin the regular season against the New York Rangers on Wednesday, October 13.