Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette provided numerous injury updates after the team’s practice on Wednesday just prior to their departure for Thursday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre (7 PM ET, NBC Sports Washington locally, NHL Network nationally).
Right-wing T.J. Oshie, who sustained an upper-body injury in Washington’s 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, will not play in the team’s back-to-back in Ottawa or at home on Friday against the Winnipeg Jets before the Christmas break.
Oshie, who will turn 36 on Friday, missed Washington’s 4-3 overtime victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Monday and was held out for 12 games earlier this season due to a lower-body injury.
Defenseman Martin Fehervary, who has missed eight straight games with a lower-body injury, participated in Wednesday’s practice but did not take contact. He will not travel to Ottawa.
Center Nic Dowd, who missed Saturday’s game but played Monday, did not skate on Wednesday but will travel. Laviolette was hopeful that Dowd would be available on Thursday.
Right-wing Tom Wilson (torn ACL, has not played this season), center Nicklas Backstrom (hip, has not played this season), and left-wing Beck Malenstyn (finger, has missed past 23 games) will not travel after all took contact in Wednesday’s practice. It was Wilson’s first practice in a regular jersey.
Defenseman Alexander Alexeyev (upper-body, has missed five straight games) will join the Capitals for their trip.
Goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who missed seven in a row with an upper-body injury after taking an elbow to the head from right-wing Tyler Toffoli in the second period of Washington’s 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on December 3, will play either in Ottawa or vs. Winnipeg. The 32-year-old backed up Charlie Lindgren on Monday.
The Capitals will have three days after Friday’s game to rest.
By Harrison Brown
I feel like/sense that the team is eye-balling a return of some players following Christmas break/next week. Pure speculation but that’s the way it feels right now.
If Nicky returns when the players come back from the break, how much will his return count towards our cap space? About $5 million? If we have roughly $3.8 million available, we would have to immediately free up about $1.2 million? Do I have my numbers and math right?
Uh Dowd played on Monday and scored twice, didnt play Saturday vs TOR
Right?! Okay cool, I thought I was losing my mind on this one…
Meant Saturday, thanks
Didn’t down score two goals on Monday against the wings? Did I hallucinate that?
From the Bears and Stingrays websites: Caps have reassigned Clay from Bears to Rays yesterday.
But he is not yet listed on the Rays roster on their website. Tyler Wall took the OT loss yesterday with Culina as backup.
Yep, we got reports yesterday Stevenson wasn’t at Bears practice, waiting on official announcement. Probably writing up the release. Good work, work Fyre.
I really hope they waive AA, when he’s healthy. Word is Edmonton is looking for defense,. I would guess that team at least, would take a risk on a 22 year old, with a lot of upside. Maybe more than 1 team would put in a claim.
Pardon me, let me make a correction. I hope they DON’T waive Alexeyev
In some ways, I hope they do if he would go to a team that would value him and let him develop and play.
From what I read Vancouver is looking to trade just about the entire team and I have read two articles proposing a Mantha trade. Might be able to do some sort of combo with Mantha and AA. (Could we do a deal trading someone on IR? I think so but have been wrong on other rules lately.) At least that way the Caps would be some value back as opposed to losing on waivers.
Personally, I’m tired of acting as a farm team for other organizations. You could ice a pretty good lineup from our castoffs:
Sammy
VV
Siegenthaler
Burky, Vrana, AJF, Stephenson
Am I forgetting anyone?
The best trade value would come from vets who were part of the Cup run, such as Orlov and Eller. I couldn’t see a team giving much for Mantha’s massive contract, given how little he produces. We added sweetener to get him, and we’d have to add sweetener to get rid of him.
I don’t like it either. But if the options are to lose him to waivers and get nothing or lose him in a trade and get something, I’d rather the latter.
I also don’t like seeing our prospects waste their opportunity to develop because the Caps stifle their opportunities. Yes, I’m pro-Caps but I’m also pro-prospects. It’s one thing if the players don’t take advantage of their opportunities, but it’s another when the Caps organization hold them back.
You missed Forsberg.
We are going to have to put a couple of good players on waivers. No two ways about it. Snively and AA will be the first to go. It’s sad, but also part of the circle of life in the NHL. I still contend AA will not get claimed. Snively I fear will. But if he was the right option we wouldn’t have signed Milano or NAK.
Game: Washington Capitals vs Ottawa Senators
Date: Friday, December 23, 2022
Location: Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON
The Washington Capitals will head into their next game feeling good after earning a 4-3 victory over the Red Wings in the last game they played. The Capitals had a great offensive game plan going into this one and it showed in the win. For the matchup, they tallied a score on 4 out of the 42 shots they put on net. Moreover, they had 3 power play opportunities but weren’t able to convert one of them into a goal.