Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Charlie Lindgren

East Notes: Lindgren, Monahan, Samuelsson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Charlie Lindgren, one of the Washington Capitals’ two starting goaltender options, has left tonight’s game with an upper-body injury and won’t return (X Link). Lindgren left the game early in the second period of tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens after being on the receiving end of a collision with Montreal forward Nick Suzuki.

Several reports indicate that Lindgren has entered concussion protocol, which may delay his next start. It’s highly unlikely Lindgren will travel with the team for tomorrow night’s contest against the Nashville Predators and more information should be provided before the Capitals’ return home on January 14th.

The saving grace for Washington is they have a more than capable goaltender in Logan Thompson to carry the load for the foreseeable future. He’s been the Capitals’ best option this year with a 17-2-2 record in 21 starts with a .919 save percentage and a 2.32 goals-against average. Thompson has already reached 11.0 goals saved above average according to Hockey Reference which is 0.3 lower than Lindgren’s 50-game performance last year.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets got a positive injury update regarding one of their best forwards. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported earlier that Sean Monahan has avoided fractures on his right wrist and is only dealing with a sprain. The severity of the sprain will provide more clarity on his timeline but it appears the worst-case scenario has eluded Monahan and the Blue Jackets.
  • Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson will miss his second straight game for the Buffalo Sabres. The organization announced that Samuelsson is still dealing with an illness that kept him out of the team’s most recent win against the Ottawa Senators and he won’t be in the lineup tomorrow night. Samuelsson’s absence should give oft-used seventh defenseman Jacob Bryson another opportunity in Buffalo’s lineup against the Seattle Kraken.

Metropolitan Notes: Mitchell, Lindgren, Thompson, Markström, Chytil

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Islanders returned defenseman Travis Mitchell to AHL Bridgeport on Wednesday, per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News.

Mitchell’s first NHL recall came and went without an appearance. He was recalled last week to serve as an extra defender with Adam Pelech, Mike Reilly and Alexander Romanov all out with injuries on the back end, but served as a healthy scratch in three straight games before yesterday’s reassignment. He was no longer needed with Romanov returning to action against the Flames on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old Mitchell is in just his second full season with the Isles organization after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Cornell in 2023. The 6’4″, 205-lb lefty had three points, 21 PIMs and a -2 rating with Bridgeport prior to last week’s summons. He’s in the final year of his entry-level contract and is ticketed for restricted free agency next summer.

The Islanders now have an open roster spot, so as things stand, they won’t need to make a corresponding transaction whenever their next injured player is ready to return. Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair, in addition to Pelech and Reilly, are all either on IR or LTIR.

There’s more from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Capitals fans got some concerning news when goaltenders Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson both left practice this morning, but both are good to dress tonight against the Avalanche, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Thompson, who’s pretty much rotated starts evenly with Lindgren, will get the start. Acquired by trade from the Golden Knights at the 2024 draft, Thompson has been the far better of the two netminders with an 8-0-1 record, .913 SV%, 2.63 GAA and 3.5 GSAA in nine appearances.
  • Devils goaltender Jacob Markström will start Thursday against the Hurricanes, according to the club’s Amanda Stein, marking his milestone 500th career appearance. He’ll become the 81st goalie in NHL history to cross the threshold, with Cam Talbot and Andrei Vasilevskiy likely to follow before the New Year. The 34-year-old has provided the stability to New Jersey’s crease they so desperately desired in his first season in the Garden State, posting an 8-5-1 record with a .907 SV% and 2.58 GAA while starting 14 of their 21 games.
  • Despite joining the team on the road, Rangers center Filip Chytil won’t return to the lineup tonight in Calgary, reports Peter Baugh of The Athletic. He wasn’t on the ice for morning skate as he’ll miss his third straight game with an upper-body injury. Previous reports indicate the 25-year-old avoided a concussion when he left a Nov. 14 game against the Sharks after colliding with teammate K’Andre Miller, a good sign for the youngster who was limited to just 10 regular-season games in 2023-24 with concussions. Through 15 appearances, the 2017 first-round pick has four goals and five assists for nine points.

East Notes: Lindgren, Mikkola, Garand

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After initially declining the invitation in recent weeks, Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren has had a change of heart and will now join Team USA at the Worlds, the team announced.  He’ll take the place of Detroit’s Alex Lyon who was the number one goalie to start the event before suffering a hand injury, ending his tourney prematurely.  The 30-year-old had a breakout year, earning the starting job in Washington while putting up a 2.67 GAA along with a .911 SV% and a league-high six shutouts in 50 games, helping to lead them to the playoffs before being swept in the opening round.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Although he exited Friday’s game late in the third with an undisclosed injury, Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola is fine, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters including team reporter Jameson Olive. The 28-year-old plays a key role on Florida’s back end, logging over 20 minutes a night during the regular season while recording nearly 200 hits.  His playing time has dipped slightly in the playoffs but he’s still fourth in defensive ATOI, checking in at 18:30 per game.  Through the first two rounds, Mikkola has a pair of points along with 17 blocks and 33 hits.
  • The Rangers have returned goaltender Dylan Garand to AHL Hartford, relays Mollie Walker of the New York Post (Twitter link). He had been brought up earlier in the week to briefly serve as the third-string emergency goalie with Louis Domingue not at 100%.  With Olof Lindbom believed to have been injured last game, Garand should get the nod against Hershey tonight in the second game of the Atlantic Division Finals.  Garand had a save percentage of just .898 during the regular season but that sits at .931 in seven playoff appearances so far.

Washington Activates Charlie Lindgren, Sends Down Hunter Shepard

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Washington Capitals have activated goaltender Charlie Lindgren from the injured reserve and sent Hunter Shepard to their AHL affiliate in a corresponding roster move, per a team announcement. Lindgren was originally placed on the injured reserve on January 3rd after it became known that he suffered an upper-body injury.

At the beginning of the year, with the Capitals struggling on offense, and largely still doing so, Lindgren had become a source of stability between the pipes, playing well above expectation to keep Washington afloat in the Eastern Conference playoff race early. Although the starting role was largely viewed as Darcy Kuemper’s to lose, Lindgren has largely forced the Capitals’ hand.

Through 15 games this season, Lindgren carries a 7-3-3 record, with an impressive .928 save percentage and 2.27 goals against average. Out of all qualifying goaltenders in the Eastern Conference, both Lindgren’s SV% and GAA serve as the top marks in the Conference. However, even with the strong numbers up to this point, Hockey Reference places Lindgren with a .902 SV% against all scoring chances, and a .864 SV% against high-danger scoring chances, indicating there could be some regression on the horizon for Lindgren.

In Shepard, he was originally recalled on December 30th via an emergency loan, starting both that day and on January 3rd. Over those two games upon his emergency loan recall, Shepard produced an 0-1-1 record, maintaining a .875 SV%. He will now rejoin a Hershey Bears team that he has spent much of the year with. Continuing his success from last year’s Calder Cup playoffs, Shepard holds a 14-2-0 record for the Bears so far this year, possessing a .908 SV% and 2.28 GAA in 16 games.

Capitals Notes: Sandin, Oshie, Lindgren

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Tom Gulitti of NHL.com is reporting that Washington Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin missed practice this morning and won’t play tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes. The team told reporters that Sandin was out with an illness, and it is not known how long he will remain out of the lineup, but they will reassess how he is feeling tomorrow before deciding on whether he will play on Sunday. Recently signed Ethan Bear took Sandin’s spot in the top 4.

The 23-year-old is in his first full season with the Capitals after he was acquired in February 2023. He started slowly this season but has picked up his game in recent weeks and has five assists in his last five games. The Uppsala, Sweden native has seen a massive increase in his ice time this season as he is playing over 22 minutes a night for Washington after averaging between 17-19 minutes a game in previous seasons while he was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In other Capitals notes:

    • Gulitti is also reporting that Capitals forward T.J. Oshie has gone back home to Minnesota to undergo treatment as he continues to deal with an upper-body injury. The 37-year-old hasn’t played since December 16th in Nashville and has been largely ineffective this year with just two goals and two assists in 21 games. The Capitals haven’t offered a timeline on Oshie’s return as of yet.
    • Gulitti tweeted today that Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren skated with the team this morning and is eligible to come off the injured reserve and serve as a backup on Sunday when Washington takes on the Los Angeles Kings. Still, the team is going to take a wait-and-see approach to get a better idea of his health before they re-insert him into the lineup. Lindgren suffered an upper-body injury last Friday and has not played since, he has been unbelievable this year for the Capitals posting a 7-3-3 record with a .928 save percentage and a 2.27 goals-against average.

Capitals Activate Max Pacioretty Off LTIR, Place Charlie Lindgren On IR

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Capitals welcomed one of their key summer signings to the lineup tonight as before their game against New Jersey, the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Max Pacioretty was cleared to play, meaning he was taken off long-term injured reserve.  He’ll line up on their third line, taking the place of Hendrix Lapierre in the lineup.  To make room on the roster, Charlie Lindgren has been placed on IR, notes Sammi Silber of The Hockey News (Twitter link).

The 35-year-old is working back from his second torn Achilles tendon in less than a year.  As a result, he missed all but five games last season and while the hope was that he wouldn’t miss too much action this season, Pacioretty wound up missing Washington’s first 35 contests.

In the past, Pacioretty has been a capable top-six forward and averaged better than a point per game over his last two seasons with Vegas before being moved to Carolina in 2022 as a part of a salary cap dump move.  However, over those two seasons, Pacioretty missed 77 games due to injury before missing 77 more last year so there are certainly some concerns about how he’ll hold up down the stretch.

Those concerns were addressed with the contract that he received this summer, one that guaranteed a base salary of just $2MM, well below what a typical top-six forward receives.  Per CapFriendly, Pacioretty will receive another $1MM at the 10-game mark, $500K at 15 games, and another $500K once he plays in his 20th contest so the veteran will need to show that he can stay healthy if he wants to max out those incentives.

Pacioretty’s return will certainly be a welcome one for a Washington team that has struggled considerably offensively this season; only one team has fewer goals than the Capitals.  While it wouldn’t be fair to expect him to make a big impact right away, if he does stay healthy, he could give their attack a bit more depth at a minimum.

As for Lindgren, he missed Saturday’s game against Nashville and is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.  He’ll now be out for a few more days at least; once he’s cleared to return, Hunter Shepard will likely be returned to AHL Hershey.  Lindgren has done quite well in limited action this season, posting a .928 SV% with a 2.27 GAA in 15 appearances so far this season.

Capitals Notes: Fehérváry, Jensen, Oshie, Milano, Lindgren, Pacioretty

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Capitals defenseman Martin Fehérváry won’t be sidelined for long with his upper-body injury. After missing the team’s Saturday game against the Predators, the Slovak defenseman is eyeing a return against the Penguins tomorrow and skated in his normal spot on the team’s top pair alongside John Carlson at practice this morning, head coach Spencer Carbery said (via The Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson).

Fehérváry sustained the injury early in last Friday’s game against the Islanders, skating just 2:18 before falling awkwardly into the boards and struggling to get to his feet. The 24-year-old has arrived as a legitimate top-four shutdown defender this season, posting the best possession metrics of his career and logging some penalty kill time with good relative results. His offense was never expected to be the calling card of his game, although his five points through 28 games is a bit slower pace than his career 0.22 points per game average.

Other notes from Capitals practice this morning:

  • If Fehérváry can return for tomorrow’s game, expect Nick Jensen to sit out as a healthy scratch to create room in the lineup, per the AP’s Stephen Whyno. The arrival of Ethan Bear, who made his Capitals debut Saturday and played over 20 minutes, has created a bit of a roster crunch, especially among the team’s right-shot defenders. Still, this is disappointing news for the 33-year-old, fresh off signing a three-year, $12.15MM extension. He’s yet to score a goal in 34 games this season and has logged just six assists, a sharp decline after notching nearly 30 points last season. His possession metrics have also nosedived after a few seasons of being one of the strong possession-control players in the league, limiting his on-ice value and making the choice to extend him look a tad dicey.
  • Carbery issued multiple injury updates after practice as well, calling the latest news on IR-bound forwards Sonny Milano and T.J. Oshie “not positive,” per Johnson. Oshie is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, while Milano will be out longer on a week-to-week basis with an upper-body injury. The update is arguably a good sign for Oshie, though, signifying he’s getting closer to a return after missing the team’s last seven games. It’s been a tough season for the 37-year-old winger, who’s dealing with his second significant injury absence and has just four points in 21 games. Milano, meanwhile, has already missed nine games with his injury and doesn’t appear close to returning to practice anytime soon. The middle-six skill winger was amidst a down season with eight points in 23 games.
  • Netminder Charlie Lindgren is also listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, Carbery said. He sat out Saturday’s game against the Predators after leaving in the first period of Friday’s game and will miss at least two more contests. Lindgren, 30, has been one of the most statistically efficient netminders in the league this year, and his .928 SV% is tied with the Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman for second in the league among all netminders with at least ten starts.
  • Veteran winger Max Pacioretty, now coming off his second Achilles surgery in a matter of months, is expected to make his Capitals debut in the second half of the Capitals’ upcoming back-to-back against the Devils on Wednesday, per Carbery. Pacioretty has been nearing a return for weeks, but Carbery said the Capitals have been trying to position his return without needing him to play in back-to-back contests. The 35-year-old was limited to just 44 out of 164 contests in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons due to Achilles injuries.

East Notes: Chytil, Capitals, Jost, Senators

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Rangers center Filip Chytil has returned to his native Czechia as he continues his recovery from a suspected concussion sustained back in early November, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post.  While the 24-year-old has made some progress skating on his own, this move will basically serve as somewhat of a reset in his recovery.  While there, Chytil will keep skating while working with the trainer and skills coach that he works with in the offseason.  There is no word for how long he’ll be at home but Brooks notes that Chytil is committed to returning this season.  Chytil had a career year last season with 45 points and was off to a nice start this year before the injury, collecting six assists in ten contests.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren left tonight’s game early with an upper-body injury, the team announced (Twitter link). He appeared to be shaken up on the first shot he faced and was only able to stay in for a few minutes before eventually coming out of the game.  The 30-year-old has done quite well this season, posting a 2.29 GAA with a .928 SV% in his first 14 games heading into this contest.
  • Meanwhile, in a separate tweet, the Capitals also noted that defenseman Martin Fehervary left tonight’s contest with an upper-body injury of his own which also occurred in the first period. The 24-year-old hasn’t lit up the scoresheet with just five points heading into this game but he had been logging a little over 19 minutes a night on Washington’s second pairing.
  • The Sabres announced that they’ve assigned center Tyson Jost to AHL Rochester. The move comes as little surprise after he cleared waivers earlier today on the heels of notching just four points in his first 29 games while carrying a $2MM contract.  With Ryan Johnson’s quick recall following the move, Buffalo will need to make another roster move to activate Zemgus Girgensons off IR; he could be cleared to return on Saturday.
  • On top of the Senators potentially getting Thomas Chabot back on their upcoming road trip which begins January 2nd, TSN’s Claire Hanna relays (Twitter link) that forwards Mathieu Joseph and Rourke Chartier should also be back during that stretch. Chabot is closer to returning than Joseph while Chartier’s timeline is a little less certain as he’s dealing with a concussion.

Washington Capitals Reassign Hunter Shepard

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Dec. 4: Shepard was returned to AHL Hershey on Monday, per the NHL’s media transactions log. Lindgren is likely ready to return from the illness that sidelined him and will dress tonight against the Coyotes.

Dec. 2: The Washington Capitals announced that they have recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, and he will be in the lineup tonight as the team takes on the Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights. Their usual backup goaltender, Charlie Lindgren, was out yesterday and took a maintenance day this afternoon, and will not be available for tonight’s matchup.

Although he will likely not play tonight with Darcy Kuemper still in the net, this will be Shepard’s fourth call-up of the season, although the first three were all on an emergency loan. Earlier this season in late October, also in Lindgren’s absence, Shepard was able to make his NHL debut against the New Jersey Devils, securing the win after making a total of 18 saves on 22 shots. A few weeks later, Shepard was once again in the net for the Capitals, stopping 36 shots out of 37 in a win against the New York Islanders.

Last season, once again spent primarily with the Bears, Shepard held a 20-8-5 record through the regular season, holding a .916 SV% and a 2.18 GAA. In the playoffs, Shepard was fundamental in Hershey winning the 2023 Calder Cup, producing a 14-6-0 record with a .914 SV%, and winning the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy, awarded to the Calder Cup playoffs most valuable player.

The trophies won last year are not the only ones in Shepard’s case, as he backed the University of Minnesota-Duluth to back-to-back National Championships in 2018 and 2019, all while winning back-to-back NCHC Goaltender of the Year awards in 2019 and 2020.

Injury Notes: Maple Leafs, Hischier, Lindgren, Flames

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing opposing injury news, with defender Timothy Liljegren returning to the team’s practice but Jake McCabe still sitting out. Liljegren took practice reps alongside Mark Giordano, although no update about his availability was provided. Liljegren was announced as “doubtful” for the team’s October 28th game before missing the match; a tag that may carry over to their Tuesday night game.

Liljegren is playing more than ever through eight games this season, averaging over 19 minutes of ice time a game – a step up from the 18 minutes he averaged last season. It’s a continuation of the gradual increase in ice time that Liljegren has seen in each of the last three seasons, speaking to his growing prowess. But despite the increased role, Liljegren has only managed one point through his eight games this year. Scoring has never been his forte, with Liljegren only netting 18 points through 67 games last year.

Liljegren will look to add to those scoring totals with an eventual return to action, while Toronto continues to wait for news of McCabe’s outlook.

Other injury news:

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top