Ethen Frank

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.

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.

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.