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Metropolitan Notes: Strome, Fitzgerald, Islander Defenders

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Center Dylan Strome is in the lineup tonight after being questionable to play due to sickness, per a team announcement. He was a full participant in today’s morning skate and is centering the team’s top line between Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson.

Despite feeling under the weather, Strome scored Washington’s first goal of the game tonight against the Red Wings. His availability is key for the Capitals as they continue their run towards the top seed in the eastern conference. Strome has been instrumental to the team’s success, registering 65 points in 67 games played. He is set to break his career high of 67 points in a season, which he recorded just last year.

In his last three seasons, he has recorded 71 goals and 197 points and has assisted on many Ovechkin’s goals as the Russian sniper nears the all-time mark.

Elsewhere in the Metro:

  • Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald discussed a scary situation that occurred to his son with his fellow general managers at their annual meetings, per an NHL release. Fitzgerald’s son, Casey Fitzgerald, a defender with Hartford of the AHL, sustained a serious cut to his neck from a skate blade in a game against Providence on Dec. 28. Casey was wearing a neck guard, which is mandated by the AHL, but the skate hit above the guard, and it was very close to being a life-threatening situation. The elder Fitzgerald approved of photos being shown of the wound, acknowledging the photos could serve as a reminder to the seriousness of these gruesome injuries. While the AHL requires cut-resistant equipment, the NHL currently doesn’t have these provisions in place. While Fitzgerald would like to see this change, he is also looking toward even better advancements in protective equipment. He noted that had the skate hit his son’s neck guard, it wouldn’t have prevented the cut from taking place in that particular situation. But better preventative measures, including wider neck straps, could help prevent serious cuts.
  • The Islanders’ Adam Pelech is playing tonight against the Penguins, while defenders Alexander Romanov and Adam Boqvist both missed the contest due to illness, per a team announcement. Pelech was a full participant in the Islanders morning skate on Tuesday after missing Sunday’s contest against the Florida Panthers with a lower-body injury. Coach Patrick Roy noted his return as a huge support for the team. Pelech has recorded 17 assists, 65 blocked shots, and 68 hits through 45 games on the season. With Romanov and Boqvist out, defender Tony DeAngelo is paired with Pelech, and veteran Mike Reilly cracked the lineup for just the 13th time this season.

Ilya Kovalchuk Announces Retirement

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Longtime NHL winger Ilya Kovalchuk has officially confirmed the end of his playing career, per Hockey News Hub on X.

Now 41, Kovalchuk is one of the most decorated wingers of the 21st century – even if his NHL career saw more than a few twists and turns. A dominant teenager with Spartak Moscow, then of the second-tier Russian league at the turn of the century, he was the first overall pick by the Thrashers in the 2001 draft.

Kovalchuk was the centerpiece of the fledgling Atlanta squad for seven and a half seasons, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting in his rookie year behind teammate Dany Heatley but capturing the league’s goal-scoring title with 41 in the 2003-04 campaign. He remained one of the league’s premier goal-scorers past the 2005 lockout, eclipsing the 50-goal mark twice with the Thrashers, although his throne as the league’s top left-wing sniper was quickly taken from him by countryman Alex Ovechkin.

In 2009-10, amid his sixth consecutive 40-goal campaign, the Thrashers dealt Kovalchuk to the Devils for what turned out to be an incredibly underwhelming return in retrospect – although they did flip the first-round pick they received in the deal to the Blackhawks to acquire longtime top-pair defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, even if those rewards were reaped after the franchise relocated to Winnipeg to become the second iteration of the Jets.

Of course, Kovalchuk’s time in New Jersey was incredibly tumultuous. Set to be a UFA in the summer of 2010, he returned to New Jersey on a record-breaking 17-year, $102MM contract that was quickly invalidated by the league for being too frontloaded. While the Devils and Kovalchuk agreed to a revised 15-year, $100MM deal, they were stripped of a first and third-round pick and were fined $3MM by the league.

After all that, Kovalchuk only played three seasons of the deal before abruptly retiring from the NHL, leaving $77MM in cash on the table to terminate his deal and return home. He played six seasons with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League, including a stint during the 2013 lockout. He was unsurprisingly the KHL’s premier offensive talent during that timeframe, posting 138-189–327 in 298 games with SKA, winning the Gagarin Cup in 2015 and 2017 and scoring the championship-clinching goal both times.

Upon leading the KHL in scoring in 2017-18 with 63 points in 53 games and winning an Olympic MVP and Gold Medal, Kovalchuk opted to make an NHL comeback and landed a hefty three-year, $18.75MM deal with the Kings. Then in his mid-30s, he underwhelmed in L.A. and managed just 43 points in 81 games over a season and a half before he again opted to walk away from the money remaining on his deal midway through the 2019-20 campaign. He finished out that season with the Canadiens and Capitals – the former signed him to a one-year deal following his termination and flipped him to Washington at the deadline. After amassing 10-16–26 in 46 games split between the three clubs, Kovalchuk headed back to Russia with Avangard Omsk.

“Kovy” finished the shortened 2020-21 season with 17 points in 16 games for Avangard en route to a third Gagarin Cup championship. He stepped away into an off-ice role after that, even serving as Russia’s general manager at the 2022 Winter Olympics, but returned to the sheet where his career began with Spartak last season. He notched 4-4–8 in 20 games and went pointless in five playoff games before opting not to re-sign last summer.

Kovalchuk played 13 NHL seasons, posting a 443-433–876 scoring line in 926 games with a -146 rating. He averaged a remarkable 21:15 per game throughout his career, including a few seasons north of 24 with the Devils. For his first NHL stint from 2001 to 2013, no one scored more than Kovalchuk’s 417 goals. He remained the Jets’ franchise all-time goals leader until Mark Scheifele finally surpassed him last month.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Sonny Milano Suffers Setback In Injury Recovery

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Friday was a fairly quiet day for the Capitals on the trade front with their only move being the acquisition of winger Anthony Beauvillier from Pittsburgh.  There’s another winger that they were hoping to get back soon but that’s no longer the case for Sonny Milano.  Speaking with reporters Friday including Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, GM Chris Patrick indicated that the winger suffered a fairly significant setback in his recovery from an upper-body injury.

The 28-year-old has been out since early November and has played in just three games with Washington this season, being held off the scoresheet.  However, he had been a capable depth scorer in recent years, reaching the double-digit goal mark in three straight seasons, the last two of which came with the Caps.

It looked as if Milano was well on his way toward returning as he had been skating for several months and participating in non-contact drills but Patrick noted that it’s back to the drawing board in terms of a plan for his recovery.  Given how long he has been out for, his availability for the rest of the season is certainly now in question.

Milano is currently on LTIR with his $1.9MM AAV contributing to more than half of their current LTIR room which stands at $3.175MM, per PuckPedia.  Washington is likely to use a good chunk of that when Ryan Leonard’s season comes to an end as it’s widely expected they’ll try to bring him in for the stretch run and playoffs so even if Milano was cleared to return before the playoffs, it’s likely they’d keep him stashed on there anyway for cap compliance purposes.  Regardless, it’s fair to say that the second season of Milano’s three-year deal has not gone the way anyone would have hoped.

Capitals Acquire Anthony Beauvillier From Penguins

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The Capitals announced the acquisition pending UFA winger Anthony Beauvillier from the Penguins for their 2025 second-round pick. After losing Jakub Vrána on waivers to the Predators yesterday, Washington had an open roster spot, so they won’t need to make a corresponding move.

Beauvillier, 27, spent less than an entire season with the Pens and now moves to his sixth team in the past three years. Pittsburgh signed him last offseason to a one-year, $1.25MM contract, and he’s played in every game this season aside from a healthy scratch in January. He has 13-7–20 in 63 appearances, including a minus-one rating and 120 shots on goal while averaging an even 13 minutes per game.

A first-round pick by the Islanders back in 2015, he hit the 20-goal mark in his sophomore season back in 2017-18 but hasn’t touched it since. He remained in New York until he headed to the Canucks in 2023 in the Bo Horvat deal. 2023-24 saw him change teams twice – first heading from Vancouver to Chicago via trade before the Blackhawks flipped him to the Predators at the deadline. Amid the movement, he had just 5-12–17 in 60 games and understandably took a significant pay cut last summer from his previous $4.15MM AAV.

With insane costs on the rental market this March, the Capitals turn to a more inexpensive pickup to address their need for an additional bottom-six winger – both in terms of acquisition cost and salary. Washington still has $3.175MM in flexibility after the pickup, per PuckPedia, so they may not be done adding to their roster. He’ll likely replace recent AHL call-up Ethen Frank in a bottom-six role and, while not a significant impact piece by any stretch, softens the blow of losing Vrána as a solid depth scorer on the waiver wire.

The Penguins now have a second-rounder in this year’s draft after trading theirs to the Canadiens in the 2023 Erik Karlsson three-team blockbuster. Washington, meanwhile, owns the Bruins’ second-rounder this year after acquiring it in the Dmitry Orlov deal at the 2023 deadline.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report the trade. Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic was first on the return.

Canadiens Unlikely To Move Both Joel Armia, David Savard

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The Canadiens are receiving high interest in pending UFAs Joel Armia and David Savard. With a playoff spot still in reach, though, they’re not likely to sell both players off before this afternoon’s deadline, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic writes.

That’s disappointing news for parties like the Jets, who David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports have a desire to acquire both. The Capitals and Oilers have also made inquiries on Armia, while the Maple Leafs have talked about picking up Savard from their chief rival to complement their blue line.

Montreal is just one point out of the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve played one more game than the Senators, who currently hold the spot. There are currently five teams within two points of each other in wild card contention, too, yielding playoff odds of only 14.8% for the Habs, per MoneyPuck. That’s the lowest of the teams in that bubble.

Armia, in particular, has been a significant driver of Montreal’s unexpected success this season. The 31-year-old winger has re-emerged as a bottom-six fixture after a tumultuous 2023-24 season, which saw him clear waivers and log his first minor-league action since the 2015-16 campaign. Since being added back to Montreal’s roster after his brief AHL stint to begin last year, the 6’3″ Finn has posted 27-22–49 in 127 games for a 17-goal, 32-point pace per 82 games. He’s done so while averaging about 15 minutes per game, serving on the Habs’ top penalty kill unit with the recently-extended Jake Evans. He’s also got a plus-three rating on a team with a cumulative -33 goal differential at 5v5 over the last two years.

He’s in the final year of a four-year, $13.6MM deal he signed with Montreal following his strong showing in their run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. Carrying a $3.4MM cap hit, interested parties may want some salary retention for a player who will factor into a third- or fourth-line role for them. Montreal has one retention slot left and is willing to use it this deadline for the right price, according to Pagnotta.

Savard has been less of an impact piece. His ice time has been slashed in what’s now his age-34 season, averaging under 18 minutes per game for the first time in a decade. The right-shot defender has 1-11–12 in 55 games this year, but grades out as Montreal’s worst possession player at even strength with a 41.7 CF% and 40.4 xGF%. He’s a highly low-event player. Montreal only allows 2.8 goals per 60 minutes with Savard on the ice at even strength, fourth on the team among players with at least 20 games. However, he’s becoming a significant enough liability offensively to cause concern. Montreal only generates 50.2 shot attempts per 60 with Savard on the ice at even strength, according to Natural Stat Trick, the worst number on the team aside from Patrik Laine’s 50.1.

Predators Claim Jakub Vrána From Capitals

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The Predators have claimed winger Jakub Vrána off waivers from the Capitals and defenseman Jordan Oesterle off waivers from the Bruins, per Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic.

After a few subpar years with the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues, Vrána successfully converted a PTO into a one-year, league minimum deal with the Washington Capitals. It was a feel-good story at the time, given that the best years of Vrána’s career had come in the Capitals organization. Before being acquired by Detroit at the 2020-21 trade deadline, Vrána had scored 76 goals and 157 points in 284 games, including a Stanley Cup ring from the 2018 postseason.

Thanks to a relatively healthy forward core this season, the Capitals haven’t utilized Vrána much. The nine-year veteran has been limited to 26 games this season in Washington, scoring four goals and 11 points while averaging 9:50 of ice time per night. There’s no guarantee he’ll have more access to playing time in Nashville, but he could make a decent fit on the team’s fourth line.

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Capitals Recall Alexander Alexeyev From Conditioning Loan

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March 6: Alexeyev is back up from his conditioning loan, the Caps announced. His reinstatement doesn’t affect their active roster count. He posted two assists and a plus-five rating in his successful three-game showing for Hershey.

March 1: The Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals are seeking more playing time for one of the team’s depth defensemen. Washington announced they’ve assigned Alexander Alexeyev to their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, on a conditioning loan.

There should be an honest question about why this move didn’t happen sooner. Alexeyev has registered zero points in five games with Washington this season, averaging 13:13 of ice time per game, with his last contest coming on November 8th. Assigning him on a conditioning loan allows Alexeyev two weeks in the AHL without requiring waivers, although he does have to sign off on the assignment.

It would be difficult for the Capitals to find a better situation for Alexeyev. The Bears are again one of the top teams in the American Hockey League standings with a 31-14-5-0 record in 50 games played, just six points back of the league-leading Rochester Americans with three games in hand. Hershey could create quite the formidable duo on defense should they pair Alexeyev with Ethan Bear, who’s scored eight goals and 33 points in 46 games this season.

Due to a relatively healthy blue line, Washington hasn’t needed Alexeyev much this season. Still, even when their defensive core sustained a few injuries, the Capitals deployed veteran Dylan McIlrath more than the St. Petersburg, Russia native. Neither defenseman has played all that well in limited action, leading to speculation that the Capitals could add a more consistent depth option at the trade deadline.

Throughout his career, Alexeyev has scored one goal and eight points in 77 games for Washington since debuting in the 2021-22 season. He’s been relatively physical over that stretch with 117 blocked shots and 88 hits but still has a career Expected +/- of -5.7, according to Hockey Reference.

He’s understandably been more influential at the AHL level, scoring six goals and 44 assists in 142 contests with the Bears with a +26 rating. Alexeyev can play six games on the conditioning loan for AHL Hershey should he stay for the maximum of two weeks.

Waivers: 3/5/25

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Four players hit the waiver wire on Wednesday ahead of Friday’s trade deadline, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

F Christian Fischer (Red Wings) – Fischer, 27, has slipped down Detroit’s depth chart as the season’s progressed. He’s been a healthy scratch in four of their last eight games. His 11:09 ATOI is his lowest in five years, as are his 0.16 points per game (1-6–7 in 45 GP). On an expiring deal worth $1.125MM, he’ll cost $100K against the cap for Detroit if he clears and is sent to the minors. It’s unclear if it’s purely a performance-based demotion or if they’re waiving him to open up roster flexibility ahead of the deadline – likely a bit of both.

D Jordan Oesterle (Bruins) – Oesterle’s waiver placement comes after the 32-year-old scored his first goal since December 2022 in yesterday’s loss to the Predators. He’d been a healthy scratch in 10 straight games before re-entering the lineup for Ian Mitchell. The veteran depth piece has served as a bottom-pairing/depth option for a good chunk of the season with Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy missing significant time on the Boston blue line. He’s been rostered since late November, so today’s waiver placement is likely an effort to get him assigned to AHL Providence on deadline day to make him eligible for the Calder Cup Playoffs.

F Jesse Puljujärvi (Panthers) – Puljujärvi signed a tryout with Florida’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte last month after having his deal with the Penguins mutually terminated. Today’s waiver placement indicates he’s landed an NHL deal with the Panthers for the rest of the season. If he clears waivers and returns to Charlotte, he’ll now be a recall option down the stretch. It’s a two-way, league-minimum deal for the 2016 No. 4 overall pick, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports. He has three assists in seven games with Charlotte after posting 3-6–9 in 26 showings with Pittsburgh earlier this season.

F Jakub Vrána (Capitals) – Vrána won’t necessarily be reassigned to AHL Hershey if he clears, at least not immediately. They’ll have a 30-day window to send him to the minors waiver-free to aid in salary cap flexibility around deadline moves, AP’s Stephen Whyno reports. Regardless, it’s been a tough year for the 29-year-old. He landed a PTO with Washington in camp and converted that into an NHL contract for his second stint with the Caps, who drafted him 13th overall in 2014. He’s been reasonably productive when dressed, posting 7-4–11 in 26 games despite seeing just 9:50 of ice time per game, but hasn’t found a regular role in Washington’s league-best offense. He’s suited up just three times since New Year’s, sitting almost exclusively as a healthy scratch. He’s on a one-way deal for 2024-25 worth the minimum $775K.

Capitals Sign Charlie Lindgren To Three-Year Extension

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The Washington Capitals have both halves of their goaltending tandem signed beyond this season. According to a team announcement, the Capitals have signed netminder Charlie Lindgren to a three-year, $9MM contract extension.

Although Lindgren’s salary will nearly triple on this deal, it appears to be a solid bit of work from Capitals’ general manager, Chris Patrick. Washington will pay a combined $8.85MM to Lindgren and Logan Thompson next season, equating to 9.26% of the 2025-26 salary cap ceiling.

However, it’s reasonable to assume Lindgren missed a bigger payday. His first season with the Capitals was fairly generic, sporting a 13-11-3 record in 26 starts with a .899 SV% and 3.05 GAA. According to MoneyPuck, his -3.9 goals saved above average was good for 80th in the league, while his goaltending partner at the time, Darcy Kuemper, ranked 16th in the NHL with an 8.8.

Due to injuries and poor play from Kuemper last season, Lindgren became the de facto starting netminder in Washington. In one of the most unprecedented seasons from a goaltender in recent memory, Lindgren managed a 25-16-7 record through 48 starts with a .911 SV%, a 2.67 GAA, and a league-leading six shutouts. His 10.5 GSAA ranked 16th in the NHL, helping Lindgren to an eighth-place finish in Vezina Trophy voting and a 12th-place finish as the league’s MVP.

Still, the Capitals desired to lighten Lindgren’s load this season by acquiring Thompson from the Vegas Golden Knights last summer. His 48 starts from the 2023-24 campaign nearly matched his total starts from the previous seven years combined, split between the Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, and St. Louis Blues.

Returning to a share of the crease this year, Lindgren’s production more closely resembles his output from two years ago rather than last year. The Lakeville, MN native has a 13-10-3 record through 27 starts with a .896 SV%, 2.70 GAA, and a -2.2 GSAA. Washington’s patience in signing Lindgren to an extension likely saved the organization a few million dollars compared to pursuing an extension in the summer months after his incredible 2023-24 campaign.

Photo courtesy of USA Sports Images.

Capitals Looking For Depth Additions

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  • The Capitals are looking to add depth both up front and on the back end before Friday’s trade deadline, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). With Washington leading the way in the Eastern Conference, it’s understandable that their preference would be to avoid doing anything to shake up the core of their group.  They have $3.65MM remaining in their LTIR pool, per PuckPedia, meaning that if they want to make a couple of additions while still leaving room for injury replacements, they’re going to be primarily looking at low-cost pickups.

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