Metropolitan Notes: Protas, Frank, Kochetkov, Marchment
The Capitals will welcome back a pair of forwards tonight as they continue their push for a playoff spot against Buffalo. NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reports (Twitter links) that Aliaksei Protas and Ethen Frank are set to return to the lineup. They’re set to take the place of Ivan Miroshnichenko and David Kampf, who will be healthy scratches.
Protas had missed the past two games with an upper-body injury. While he’s not scoring at the same rate as last year when he had 30 goals and 36 assists in 76 games, the 25-year-old has still been one of Washington’s top scorers with 23 goals and 24 assists through 70 appearances. Frank, meanwhile, was waived by the Capitals in training camp but was recalled soon after and has been a regular since then, notching 12 goals and 12 assists in 64 games, earning a two-year extension for his efforts. He had been out for nearly two weeks with a lower-body injury.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov joined the team on the ice at the end of today’s morning skate, relays team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link). The netminder was ruled as likely out for the rest of the year after undergoing hip surgery in late December to fix a problem he had been battling through. At this point, it stands to reason that Kochetkov has a long way to go still before being cleared to return but getting back on the ice already suggests he has a chance to get back at some point in the postseason. The 26-year-old has played in just nine games this season with Brandon Bussi and Frederik Andersen shouldering the rest of the goaltending load.
- It appears that the Blue Jackets will get a key winger back tonight. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic notes (Twitter link) that Mason Marchment was a full participant in the morning skate on the top line, suggesting that he’ll return after missing Thursday’s game due to an undisclosed injury. The 30-year-old has been a key contributor since being acquired early in the year from Seattle, notching 14 goals and 13 assists in just 33 games since then. Officially, he’s listed as a game-time decision.
Metropolitan Notes: Shea, Frank, Palmieri
Ahead of their matinee tilt against Carolina, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Muse told reporters, including Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports, that Ryan Shea is day-to-day with an apparent facial injury suffered yesterday against Winnipeg.
As a result, Ryan Graves will slot into the lineup today, not having played at the NHL level since January 21. Such is not what you want to see for any 30-year-old making $4.5MM for the next several years, but Shea’s emergence in 2025-26 at just $900k (set to expire this summer) has helped soften the blow considerably. And while Graves’ Penguins tenure has soured, few teams offer such accomplished blueliners as depth.
Drafted back in 2015 by Chicago, Shea was unable to break through for even a single game with the Dallas Stars despite strong AHL production. The 6’1” lefty then caught on with the Penguins in 2023, where he has broken out this year with 28 points in 69 games, his usage jumping to just below 19 minutes a night. As a result, it’s become apparent the 29-year-old late bloomer will be in for a big raise this offseason.
On the other hand, Graves comes back with just one point across 19 games this year. He’s been much more productive in the AHL for Wilkes-Barre with 10 in 15 games, skating in the AHL for the first time since as an Avalanche prospect in 2018-19. The traditional stats don’t look great, but Graves actually offers a solid 52.2% corsi for at five-on-five this season, an improvement over his past Penguins or Devils numbers. If anything, Shea’s performance has played a part in his short leash, playing just 15:29 a contest.
Closing in on an impressive return to the playoffs after a three year hiatus, the Pens will likely welcome back Shea next week, as soon as Tuesday against Colorado.
Elsewhere across the division:
- The Washington Capitals shared mid-game that Ethen Frank suffered a lower body injury and would not return. He was pushed into the post by Colorado’s Devon Toews, skating off while favoring his mid-section. A two-time Calder Cup champion with the Hershey Bears, the undrafted forward has emerged at age 28 as a full time NHLer. Frank has 24 points in 59 games as a productive bottom sixer with blistering speed. His efforts were rewarded with a two-year extension finalized earlier this month. It’s looking like the Caps will miss the playoffs for just the second time in the past decade, and hopefully Frank’s breakout campaign has not met an untimely end today.
- New York Islanders veteran Kyle Palmieri has started skating on his own, per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com, as he works his way back from a torn ACL suffered in November. A return before next fall won’t be happening, but it’s encouraging news for the 35-year-old. Considering that Palmieri forced a turnover and earned an assist in an unforgettable moment moments after the major injury, it’s another example of his resilience. The winger will root on his club to make it into the playoffs, looking ahead to 2026-27, the final year of his contract. Always durable, Palmieri played in just 25 games this year, the fewest since the 2011-12 season, but he was still productive with 18 points.
Capitals Sign Ethen Frank To Two-Year Extension
The Capitals announced they’ve signed winger Ethen Frank to a two-year, $4MM deal. He’ll count $2MM against the cap for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons.
Frank was set to be a UFA this summer after completing the two-year extension he signed for the league minimum in 2024. With the Caps’ loss to the Mammoth last night putting them further out of playoff contention, there was a fair chance he could have been moved by Friday afternoon as a rental. Instead, he’ll be sticking around in D.C. for another two years.
The 28-year-old is certainly a late bloomer, but has grown into an impactful depth scoring presence for the Caps. The Nebraska native started his pro career as an undrafted free agent, signing with AHL Hershey out of Western Michigan back in 2022. He exploded for 30 goals in 57 games as a rookie – the most he’d had in a single season since his under-16 days – and earned an NHL deal from the Caps at that year’s trade deadline.
The 5’11” winger continued to serve as Hershey’s top goal scorer, awaiting his chance to squeeze out some NHL minutes. Amid a 20-goal showing in just 35 AHL games last year, the call-up finally came. Frank made his NHL debut in January 2025 and remained up with Washington the rest of the way, notching four goals and seven points in 24 games while seeing 10:49 of ice time per game. The skilled finisher shot at 17.4% and did everything he could in his limited minutes to put himself in the conversation for an opening night job this year.
It didn’t come. Washington waived Frank to begin the season and, somewhat unexpectedly, he managed to pass through the wire unclaimed. Less than a month later, he was back up with the Caps. He’s stayed up ever since and has been quite valuable for Washington in a bottom-six role. His 11-12–23 scoring line in 52 games ranks 10th on the team while seeing his ice time creep up to nearly 13 minutes per game, featuring more consistently on the Caps’ second power-play unit.
With Washington seeing an overall dropoff in finishing this season, it makes sense they’d want to retain one of their most efficient shooters, particularly with the lingering uncertainty of whether Alex Ovechkin will return for a 22nd NHL season. Washington now has 17 of the 23 players on its active roster signed through next season, with $34.5MM in projected cap space to burn, per PuckPedia.
Capitals Activate Ethen Frank, Assign Spencer Smallman To AHL
The Capitals have made a pair of roster moves heading into tonight’s game against Tampa Bay. The team announced that they have activated winger Ethen Frank off injured reserve. To make room on the roster, forward Spencer Smallman has been sent back to AHL Hershey.
Frank didn’t make Washington’s roster out of training camp but was recalled less than two weeks into the season. However, the 27-year-old sustained an upper-body injury in his third game of the year, landing on IR soon after. Frank has an assist in those three outings to go along with four goals and three assists in 24 games with the Caps last season in his first taste of NHL action. He also had two goals and three helpers with the Bears prior to his recall.
As for Smallman, the 29-year-old received the first recall of his career last weekend. However, he will have to continue to wait to make his NHL debut as he was the reserve forward for Washington while on recall. Smallman had two goals and an assist in six outings with Hershey before the recall and has ranged between 21 and 34 points in his last four minor league campaigns.
With these roster moves, Washington’s active roster remains at the maximum of 23 players.
Metro Injury Notes: Capitals, Rangers, Hurricanes
The Washington Capitals took the ice for practice this morning, and there were a few takeaways on the injury front. A report from Sammi Silber of The Hockey News indicated that forward Ethen Frank had returned to skating in a non-contact jersey, while defenseman Rasmus Sandin has been fully cleared for contact.
Additionally, Silber shared that center Pierre-Luc Dubois, who’s considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury, did not join the team for practice. All around, it’s mostly positive news for the Capitals, given that Frank and Sandin are the only two currently on the team’s injured reserve.
Since he hasn’t played since October 21st, Sandin has missed the most time of the trio. He’s tallied two assists in seven games for Washington this year, averaging 19:24 of ice time per contest. Meanwhile, Frank hasn’t played since the Capitals’ game on October 28th against the Dallas Stars after being reverse-hit by Mikko Rantanen. Despite the play looking relatively scary, it appears that Frank is on track to return sooner rather than later.
Other injury notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- Peter Baugh of The Athletic provided updates on a pair of injured New York Rangers. Baugh reported that defenseman Urho Vaakanainen is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury and wasn’t on the ice for practice this morning. However, in a positive update, Baugh shared that Vincent Trocheck has returned wearing a non-contact jersey. Although Baugh didn’t comment on a potential return for Trocheck, it at least shows that a return is on the horizon. He’s currently on the team’s long-term injured reserve and hasn’t played since October 9th.
- The injury news isn’t as positive for the Carolina Hurricanes. According to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, defensemen Jaccob Slavin and K’Andre Miller have yet to return to practice for the Hurricanes. It’s another blow to a defensive core that’s been devastated by injuries to begin the 2025-26 campaign. Still, despite the unlikelihood of Miller playing in Carolina’s next game, he’s not expected to miss much more time.
Capitals Place Ethen Frank On Injured Reserve
The Capitals have placed winger Ethen Frank on injured reserve, according to Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network. The placement is retroactive to Tuesday, when he left their 1-0 loss to the Stars with an undisclosed injury. As a result, he’s been ruled out for Washington’s next two games and will be eligible for activation on Nov. 5 against the Blues.
Frank needed assistance from the team’s trainers down the tunnel with less than two minutes left in the game. He attempted a check on Dallas winger Mikko Rantanen but failed to move him off the puck and took the worst of the collision (video via B/R Open Ice).
That was Frank’s third appearance of the season. He’s been recalled twice since clearing waivers and heading to AHL Hershey at the beginning of the campaign. The 27-year-old has recorded an assist, three shots on goal, and a pair of hits while averaging 11:18 of ice time per game, slotting into fourth-line duties with Nic Dowd and Brandon Duhaime. It’s his second taste of NHL action after making his debut for the Caps last year. The high-end AHL goal-scorer notched four tallies and seven points in 24 showings for Washington in 2024-25.
They haven’t yet filled Frank’s roster spot, but will likely do so before tomorrow’s game against the Islanders to give themselves an extra forward. Likely recall options include first-round pick Ivan Miroshnichenko and the newly signed Brett Leason. They’re rostering 13 right now, but Dylan Strome is unlikely to play due to the lower-body injury that kept him out of the Dallas game. He’s listed as day-to-day and skated in a non-contact jersey at today’s practice, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.
Washington Capitals Recall Ethen Frank
According to a team announcement, the Washington Capitals have recalled forward Ethen Frank from the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Washington reassigned Frank only a few days ago when the team activated Pierre-Luc Dubois from the injured reserve.
Unfortunately, it appears that Frank’s recall is linked to another injury to a Capitals center. In Washington’s recent loss to the Ottawa Senators, first-line center Dylan Strome exited the game with a lower-body injury, and those within the organization are concerned about the severity of the injury.
Given that the Capitals already have a full 23-man roster, they’ll have to make a corresponding move to keep Frank on the roster. The assumption is that due to Strome’s injury, the team will place him on the injured reserve at the very least. This means that Strome is guaranteed to miss Washington’s next three games. He wouldn’t be eligible to return until November 5th against the St. Louis Blues.
The team may also expect a longer-term absence for Strome. Shortly after announcing Frank’s recall, the team shared they had signed Brett Leason and quickly waived him for potential reassignment. There have not been any reports directly linking the two transactions. However, the Capitals may have acquired Leason for AHL depth if they’re anticipating a longer-term stay in the NHL for Frank.
Through the first couple of weeks of the regular season, Frank only appeared in two games for the Capitals, registering one assist while averaging 12:34 of ice time per night. Since Washington will likely move each of their remaining centers up one spot in the lineup, Frank should center the team’s fourth line between Brandon Duhaime and Anthony Beauvillier.
If the team feels more comfortable with Nic Dowd and Justin Sourdif in their current spots, Washington could potentially squeeze more value out of Frank on the second line. He’s been relatively productive with AHL Hershey, scoring 82 goals and 127 points in 164 games over the past five years.
Capitals Activate Pierre-Luc Dubois Off IR, Assign Ethen Frank To AHL
The Capitals have made a pair of roster moves in advance of their game tonight against Ottawa. The team announced that they have activated center Pierre-Luc Dubois off injured reserve. To make room for him on the roster, the team has returned winger Ethen Frank to AHL Hershey.
Dubois wound up missing a little more than two weeks with a lower-body injury that was originally hoped to be a day-to-day issue. Instead, he wound up missing five games. Dubois has been held off the scoresheet in his three appearances this season but is coming off a career season in his first campaign with Washington. Last season, he had 20 goals and 46 assists in 82 games, showing flashes of being the impactful top-six center that made him the third-overall pick in 2016 and led to an eight-year, $68MM contract two years ago.
Dubois will presumably return to a role in Washington’s top six in his return. Hendrix Lapierre skated on the second line last game and is the logical fit to cede his spot to Dubois with Lapierre then returning to the fourth line in place of Frank.
As for Frank, he got into a pair of games with Washington while on recall, picking up an assist in 12:34 per game of ice time. That brings his NHL point total to eight in 26 outings after getting into 24 games with the Caps last season. The 27-year-old also has a pair of goals in two appearances with the Bears in 2025-26 and is a strong candidate to be brought back up whenever the next injury arises up front for the Capitals.
Capitals Recall Ethen Frank
The Capitals have announced the recall of winger Ethen Frank from AHL Hershey. Frank will likely be Washington’s scratch at forward for its game against the Wild tonight, but will be on hand to enter the lineup in case of a last-minute injury. Since a roster spot opened up yesterday when Vincent Iorio was claimed off waivers by the Sharks, no corresponding transaction is required.
Frank, 27, returns to Washington’s NHL roster after making his big league debut last season. Undrafted, Frank has worked his way up the depth chart from AHL signing to reliable call-up option in just a few years. He made his pro debut for Hershey late in the 2021-22 season after a five-year run at Western Michigan and ended up signing his first NHL contract late the following season.
Over 163 career games in the minors, Frank has 82 goals, 45 assists, and 127 points. He’s led Hershey in goals twice, including netting 30 as a rookie, and has been named to the AHL All-Star Classic in all three of his full-time pro seasons. After recording a 4-3–7 scoring line in 24 NHL appearances last year, he was expected to get a long look at a top-nine role in training camp, but was boxed out by rookie Ryan Leonard, 2020 first-rounder Hendrix Lapierre, and returning vet Sonny Milano, who spent most of 2024-25 sidelined with a concussion. He was waived at the end of training camp and, despite fears he would be claimed due to his strong minor-league track record, went unclaimed and was assigned to Hershey.
Frank already has two goals through two games for Hershey this year. He’ll be one of Washington’s preferred call-up options throughout the year, but they’ll be careful with his waiver status. He has a 10-game, 30-day clock on the active roster until he needs to pass through them again to return to the minors.
He’s coming up today to ensure the Caps keep an extra healthy forward around. They’re still without Pierre-Luc Dubois, who’s day-to-day with a lower-body issue and will miss his second straight game tonight. He practiced today, but with a non-contact designation, according to The Hockey News.
Capitals Recall Ethen Frank For NHL Debut
The Capitals recalled forward Ethen Frank from AHL Hershey on Friday, per a team release. He’ll make his NHL debut tonight at home against the Canadiens. Washington sent Ivan Miroshnichenko down to Hershey to make room on the active roster, general manager Chris Patrick said.
Frank, 26, is in his fourth season in the Capitals organization after Hershey inked him to a minor-league deal out of Western Michigan University late in the 2021-22 campaign. The 5’11” sniper landed an NHL contract from Washington for the 2023-24 season after exploding for 30 goals in 57 games during his rookie AHL showing with Hershey.
The Nebraska native has continued to establish himself as one of the AHL’s best goal-scorers, now totaling 80 in 161 games with Hershey over the past four years. He’s been a core piece of their back-to-back Calder Cup championships, including 10 goals in 18 postseason games in 2024, and has been named to the league’s All-Star Classic in each of his first two full seasons. In his graduate season with Western Michigan, he also led the entire NCAA in goals with 26 in 38 games.
Frank, who signed a two-year, $1.55MM extension in June to avoid restricted free agency last summer, will debut on the third line with Lars Eller and Taylor Raddysh, head coach Spencer Carbery said. It’s a fitting promotion for Frank, whose 20 goals in 35 games in Hershey this year rank second in the AHL.
Down goes Miroshnichenko, who had been up in the NHL since mid-November. The 20-year-old has been a healthy scratch with increasing frequency, though, only playing twice since New Year’s.
Washington’s first-rounder in 2022, Miroshnichenko has four points in 18 games in 2024-25 and 10 points in 39 games including last season’s totals. The 6’1″ Russian winger averaged just 9:21 per game during this season’s call-up.
Miroshnichenko was off to a hot start in Hershey before being added to the Caps’ roster, posting 14 points in 16 games. He’ll look to continue that momentum now as he waits for his next NHL opportunity.
With the moves, Washington’s active roster remains at the 23-player maximum.