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Martin Fehervary

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

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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

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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.

Capitals Place T.J. Oshie On Injured Reserve, Activate Martin Fehérváry

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The Capitals made some roster moves this afternoon, most notably placing winger T.J. Oshie on injured reserve with an upper-body injury retroactive to November 24, according to the NHL’s media portal. Defenseman Martin Fehérváry was activated off IR in a corresponding transaction and replaced Oshie on the 23-man active roster.

While Washington has impressed this season and sits in playoff position in the Metropolitan Division, Oshie hasn’t been a significant factor. Oshie has seen ice time worth of a top-six forward, averaging 16:39 per game, but the 37-year-old is producing at (by far) the worst rate of his NHL career. Injuries have been a factor the last few seasons, but he still managed to stay relevant last year with 35 points in 58 contests. Now, he’s as snakebitten as ever, notching just one goal and one assist through 17 games. It’s worth noting he’s shooting at just 3.3% – the only time in his 16-year, 975-game career that he’s shot in the single digits.

This is not an unexpected move. He is listed as day-to-day, and it was reported last weekend that he would not travel with the team on their five-game West Coast road swing. Hopefully, the veteran can return to action when the team returns home, and he can continue on his quest to 1,000 games.

In placing Oshie on IR, the Capitals create space for the much younger Fehérváry to return to play tonight against the Sharks. The 24-year-old landed on IR over two weeks ago and missed five games with a lower-body injury sustained November 10 against the Devils. Selected 46th overall in 2018, the budding top-four defender has logged two assists in 12 games this season, averaging 18:20 per contest. His 50.3% Corsi share at even strength is a marked improvement over his first two full seasons in the NHL, and he continues to grow into a trusted complementary player who can handle significant defensive zone usage. He’ll assume a top-pairing alongside John Carlson in his return to the lineup tonight.

Injury Notes: Fehérváry, Bjornfot, Suter

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Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehérváry has returned to practice in a normal jersey, according to team reporter Tarik El-Bashir. This is an important development for both Fehérváry and the Capitals, as the defenseman has missed the team’s last three contests with a lower-body injury.

Fehérváry is a top-four defenseman in Washington, averaging 18:19 time-on-ice per game. He also takes regular shifts on head coach Spencer Carbery’s penalty kill. Should he be ready to return to the ice, he would need to be activated off of injured reserve. The Capitals currently have a full 23-man roster, so to activate Fehérváry a player may need to be sent to the AHL’s Hershey Bears.

Some other injury updates from across the NHL:

  • Los Angeles Kings defenseman Tobias Bjornfot, who is currently playing for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, left last night’s game against the Coachella Valley Firebirds with an injury. He had to be stretchered off of the ice after taking a hit from Firebirds forward Jacob Melanson, who was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for boarding on the play. Bjornfot, 23, has played in three games for Ontario this season and one game for Los Angeles.
  • Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet told the media yesterday, including The Athletic’s Harman Dayal, that forward Pius Suter would not travel on the team’s road trip as he continues to be evaluated for an undisclosed injury. Although Suter, 27, has struggled to find the scoresheet he has played some important minutes for the Canucks. He averages over 15 minutes of ice time per game and skates on both special teams units, so the Canucks will definitely hope that whatever is keeping him out of the lineup is not an ailment that will cost him significant time.

Injury Notes: Capitals, Flyers, Canadiens, Grzelcyk

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At this morning’s practice before the team’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets tomorrow night, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network reports that defenseman Martin Fehervary is doing some light skating for the Washington Capitals, but is not expected back for tomorrow’s game. Ferhervary has been out with a lower-body injury since the team’s win against the New Jersey Devils last week.

El-Bashir also notes that even though he has not missed a game due to the illness, Evgeny Kuznetsov will still be missing practice due to the ailment. Lastly, as the last report from practice, goaltender Darcy Kuemper appeared ’fine’ at practice after leaving Wednesday’s practice with an apparent injury.

After an incredibly slow start through the team’s first five games of the regular season, the Capitals have turned things around dramatically, producing a 7-1-1 record since that time, moving up to second place in the Metropolitan Division. If the team hopes to continue the hot streak, they will need to sustain relative health through the end of the calendar year.

Other notes:

  • Missing almost a month of action, Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports reports that defenseman Marc Staal of the Philadelphia Flyers is out of the non-contact jersey at practice, indicating he could be close to returning. Dealing with a rib injury from the team’s October 19th game against the Edmonton Oilers, Staal has only managed four games this year, failing to produce a point.
  • Leaving last night’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period, the Montreal Canadiens announced that defenseman Arber Xhekaj is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Xhekaj notably missed the last month and a half of the 2022-23 regular season due to a shoulder injury, and has scored one goal and two assists in 17 games upon his return.
  • Eligible to return next Saturday against the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins’ defenseman, Matt Grzelcyk is still on the LTIR, rehabbing his way back from an upper-body injury sustained in late October. However, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald indicates the rehab process is going well, as Grzelcyk is back practicing with the team today.

Capitals Notes: Fehervary, Oshie, Pacioretty, Edmundson

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Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post is reporting that Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary didn’t practice this morning and will not play in tomorrow night’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery also told reporters that Fehervary is a maybe for Saturday night’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Fehervary is currently on injured reserve and wouldn’t have been eligible to return tomorrow even if he was healthy enough to play but is eligible to play Saturday if he can. The 24-year-old has had a decent start to the year and has been very good on the Capitals’ penalty kill. While he has just two assists in 12 games, he has been much more effective at even strength this year despite starting most of his shifts in the defensive zone.

In other Capitals notes:

  • Bailey Johnson also reported that Capitals forward T.J. Oshie took a maintenance day today and did not practice with the team. Oshie has had a brutal start to the season with just one assist in 13 games thus far and it appears the Capitals are hoping that some rest can help kickstart some offense for the 36-year-old. Oshie has seen over three minutes of powerplay time per game this season which is about the same average time he saw last year, but even with the work on the first powerplay unit he has been unable to find the back of the net.
  • The NHL Network’s Tarik El-Bashir is reporting that Capitals forward Max Pacioretty skated on his own this morning before the team’s practice as he attempts to ramp back up to return to game action. The 34-year-old faces a long battle back after tearing his right Achilles for the second time this past January and there is no timetable for his potential return. Both the Capitals and Pacioretty appear to be very cautious in their approach to a return which makes sense given how difficult the past 15 months have been for the six-time 30-goal scorer.
  • Bailey Johnson tweeted that Capitals defenseman Joel Edmundson is getting closer to a return after he was a full participant in practice today. Edmundson is trying to work his way back from a hand injury and was dressed in a non-contact jersey during this morning’s practice. The 30-year-old has yet to make his debut in Washington after he was acquired in July for two draft picks. He injured his hand in preseason and required surgery which has ultimately delayed the start to his Capitals career. A return to action would be good news for Washington as they are currently without defensemen Fehervary and Trevor van Riemsdyk.

Capitals Place Martin Fehervary On IR, Recall Dylan McIlrath

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Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary left last night’s game with a lower-body injury last night and it appears the injury will keep him out for a little while.  NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti relays (Twitter link) that Washington has placed the blueliner on injured reserve.  In a corresponding move, blueliner Dylan McIlrath was recalled from AHL Hershey.

Speaking with reporters postgame on Friday (video link), head coach Spencer Carbery didn’t provide any specifics about Fehervary’s injury, only saying that it was not ideal.  That’s certainly a fair assessment as the 24-year-old went into last night’s contest averaging over 19 minutes a game while holding down a spot in their top four.

So far this season, Fehervary has a pair of assists in a dozen appearances along with 20 hits and 29 blocked shots.  He also takes a regular turn on Washington’s second penalty killing unit so his absence will be hard to fill internally.  Alexander Alexeyev was the reserve blueliner on Friday so it stands to reason that he’ll get the first chance to do so while Lucas Johansen and Hardy Haman Aktell will each have to cover more minutes as well.

As for McIlrath, the 31-year-old is in his third season in Washington’s system.  He got into six games with the Caps last year, his first taste of NHL action since the 2019-20 campaign when he was with Detroit.  McIlrath is best known for his physicality but he does have three assists in 11 games so far with the Bears this season, along with 23 penalty minutes.  Last year in the minors, he had 13 helpers in 60 contests plus 102 minutes in the box.

Washington Capitals Sign Martin Fehérváry To Three-Year Extension

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The Washington Capitals have announced they have re-signed RFA defenseman Martin Fehérváry to a three-year, $2.675MM AAV contract.

This contract’s term means that Fehérváry will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights when this deal expires, and he’ll be one year away from UFA eligibility at that point. One of Washington’s most promising young defenseman, Fehérváry has been a top-four blueliner for the Capitals in each of his first two NHL campaigns.

Set to turn 24 in October, Fehérváry played in 67 games this past season and averaged 20 minutes of ice time per night, including a minute and a half on the penalty kill. He’s a well-respected defense-first defenseman who has brought size and stability to the Capitals’ blueline. As a left-shot defenseman with more of a defensive bent, Fehérváry fits very well next to Washington’s best blueliner: John Carlson.

Washington is undoubtedly optimistic about what Fehérváry’s future holds, and it’s possible that they considered signing him to a long-term extension rather than this bridge contract.

But with the Capitals looking to maximize their competitive chances in the final years of Alex Ovechkin’s legendary career, opting for a bridge deal to keep Fehérváry’s cap hit relatively low for the next few seasons allows them to allocate more dollars elsewhere.

Should Fehérváry continue to grow and become a top-pairing all-around defenseman, this bridge deal will ultimately put the Capitals in a position to pay Fehérváry a major contract in just three year’s time, rather than in eight years had they elected a maximum-term long-term extension.

By making that choice they’ve saved valuable cap dollars for the next three seasons, and now they’ll hope on this contract Fehérváry can be part of a Capitals Stanley Cup-winning team.

Capitals Notes: Draft Rights, Fehervary, Dowd, Sandin

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Many NHL-drafted but unsigned players are set to become free agents today if they don’t sign within the next four hours. Today, The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir confirmed two Capitals prospects will hit the open market: Czech defenseman Martin Has and Canadian defender Dru Krebs.

Krebs, the brother of Buffalo Sabres forward Peyton Krebs, was selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Draft. While he had a strong year in 2020-21 in limited action due to COVID, the 2021-22 campaign was nightmarish for him, finishing with just 19 points in 66 games with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers and a staggering -58 rating. He rebounded nicely this season, but the 20-year-old’s flaws displayed after his draft year likely signal an NHL future isn’t in the cards.

Has, 22, was a member of Washington’s 2019 draft class. The fifth-round pick played unsigned in the Capitals organization this year, registering 12 points in 50 games as a member of the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays.

  • Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan told reporters today that the team hasn’t begun speaking to pending restricted free agent defenseman Martin Fehervary about an extension yet, but “expects discussions to pick up soon.” Fehervary, Washington’s second-round pick in 2018, is coming off his entry-level deal. In his sophomore season with the Caps, the 23-year-old consistently played a top-four role and posted 16 points in 67 games.
  • MacLellan also said center Nic Dowd underwent core surgery recently, aiming to fix an ailment that was bugging him near the end of the season. Dowd is expected to recover in time for training camp in September. The 33-year-old bottom-six center has two seasons remaining at a cap hit of $1.3MM and is coming off a career-high 13 goals.
  • Lastly, in more positive news for Washington, MacLellan revealed the injury Swedish defenseman Rasmus Sandin sustained near the end of this year’s Men’s World Championship isn’t serious and carries no long-term concern. Sandin was electric for Washington after coming over from Toronto near the end of the season, posting 15 points in 19 games and averaging nearly 23 minutes per game. The 23-year-old former first-round pick will look to step into a consistent top-four role with the Caps next season, potentially alongside John Carlson.

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