Capitals Reassign Henrik Rybinski

Dec. 24: The Caps announced this morning that they’ve returned Rybinski to the AHL over the holiday break.

Dec. 21: Veteran center Lars Eller has officially been placed on injured reserve by the Washington Capitals as expected. The Capitals will use forward Henrik Rybinski in Eller’s stead with the organization announcing his recall from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.

It’s his first NHL recall during his short professional career. The Florida Panthers drafted Rybinski with the 136th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft but he signed with Washington after his draft rights expired in 2022.

Rybinski has had a slow start to his professional career offensively scoring 10 goals and 34 points in 103 games for the Bears from 2022 to 2024. The current season can already be classified as a breakout year for Rybinski as he’s scored six goals and 20 points in 28 games. He’s unlikely to break any scoring records but his production is still good for third in scoring on a second-place Hershey team.

The uptick in point production likely led to Rybinski’s recall by the Capitals. Still, he’s unlikely to debut in the NHL given Washington’s upcoming schedule. The organization matches up against the Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs over their next three games.

Should the Capitals still need Rybinski on the roster by next Sunday, it would make sense for him to debut against a fledgling Detroit Red Wings. Still, the recall is an acknowledgment by the Capitals of Rybinski’s development this season.