T.J. Oshie Won't Play Saturday, Brooks Orpik Dealing With Upper-Body Injury
- Capitals winger T.J. Oshie took part in a partial practice today but will not suit up tomorrow night against Anaheim, reports Callie Caplan of the Washington Post. As a result, he’ll miss his sixth straight game. From the same report, defenseman Brooks Orpik is dealing with an upper-body issue. He’s set to be re-evaluated tomorrow but it seems likely that he will also miss Saturday’s contest. Washington doesn’t have enough salary cap space to call anyone up but they have one extra defender on their roster so they still should be able to ice a full lineup.
Capitals Likely To Get Ilya Samsonov Signed For 2018-19
- On the heels of Tuesday’s report that Capitals GM Brian MacLellan was in Moscow to speak to top goalie prospect Ilya Samsonov about signing for next season, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports (Twitter link) that it’s reasonably safe to believe that Samsonov will be on an NHL contract for 2018-19. The 20-year-old, Washington’s first-round pick in 2015, is off to a slower start to his season with a .909 SV% in 17 KHL games but is still viewed as one of the top goalie prospects in the league, if not the best. If management shares the same belief that Samsonov will be able to sign, it will be interesting to see if they make current backup Philipp Grubauer available between now and the trade deadline or if they wait until Samsonov officially signs before doing so.
Washington Capitals Working On Ilya Samsonov
The Washington Capitals don’t have a goaltending problem. Braden Holtby hasn’t been quite himself this season, but is still one of the more consistent netminders in the league. Behind him, Philipp Grubauer also hasn’t had quite the season some had hoped, but his is a small sample and could turn at any moment.
Still, the team is looking towards their future in goal. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that Capitals GM Brian MacLellan is in Moscow to speak with Ilya Samsonov’s representatives, as they try to bring him over to North America after his current deal is up. Samsonov is under contract with Magnitogorsk through April 2018, after which he could sign his entry-level deal with the Capitals.
It’s not often you see teams spend first-round picks on goaltenders anymore, as so many have been burned by the inconsistent development of young netminders. The Capitals weren’t afraid though when they strode up to the podium in 2015, selecting Samsonov 22nd-overall even while other names like Brock Boeser, Travis Konecny and Jack Roslovic were still available.
Samsonov showed why the Capitals were so high on him the next season, when he jumped into the KHL and recorded a .925 save percentage in 19 games. He would even play in six postseason games and help Magnitogorsk win the Gagarin Cup as a rookie. He also took home a silver as part of the Russian World Junior team. All he did the next season was post a .936 save percentage in 27 KHL games and take over the net for the World Junior squad, earning a bronze medal this time around, but being named a tournament All-Star.
It’s clear that Samsonov is a top goaltending prospect, even if this year his numbers are down a bit on a worse KHL team. He stands 6’4″ at age-20, and has the potential to be an elite goaltender in the NHL one day. Getting him signed and into the Capitals development system is the next step, especially with Grubauer a restricted free agent once again this summer and Holtby only signed through 2019-20.
Bowey, Djoos, And Stephenson Sticking Around; Oshie Won't Play Monday
One of the more thrilling moments for rookies in the NHL is when the team tells them to move out of the hotel and find a place of their own to live. As Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post notes, the Capitals have told three of their four rookies just that as defensemen Madison Bowey and Christian Djoos, as well as center Chandler Stephenson, got the news that they’ll be sticking around for the foreseeable future with the big club.
Interestingly enough, the lone rookie who did not receive that notification is Jakub Vrana who has played in all but one of Washington’s games so far this season and sits fourth overall on the team with eight goals. However, given that the Capitals have very limited cap room and Vrana remains exempt from waivers, perhaps they will look to send him back and forth a bit as the season progresses to free up a bit more space.
- Still with the Capitals, winger T.J. Oshie resumed skating for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on December 4th, reports Tarik El-Bashir of NBC Sports Washington. However, he has already been ruled out of their game on Monday as he did not make the trip to Brooklyn where they will play the Islanders; a team spokesperson told El-Bashir that Oshie remains listed as day-to-day.
Minor Transactions: 12/07/17
While teams get ready for a busy Thursday night of action, slight adjustments will be made to rosters across the league. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed Justin Schultz on injured reserve and recalled Frank Corrado from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Schultz is dealing with a lower-body injury, and is expected to miss “weeks”. Corrado has played three games for Pittsburgh this season, and could end up facing his old team as the Penguins take on the Maple Leafs this weekend.
- The Washington Capitals have sent Travis Boyd to the minor leagues, after the 24-year old forward made his NHL debut on Monday. Boyd has shown elite offensive ability at the AHL level, but was held scoreless in his two NHL contests. The undersized forward will likely get another chance at some point, but for now will return to Hershey where he has 20 points in 23 games. For the Capitals, Boyd’s assignment likely means that Andre Burakovsky is ready to return to the lineup.
- With Ben Bishop dealing with a sore back and not on the Dallas Stars current road trip, the team has recalled goaltender Mike McKenna from the AHL according to Mark Stepneski of NHL.com. McKenna isn’t expected to get much in the way of starts unless Bishop remains out through next weekend. The Stars don’t have a back-to-back situation until Friday and Saturday of next week.
- Ville Husso has been called up to the St. Louis Blues on emergency conditions, after Carter Hutton suffered a lower-body injury. Husso will be used as a backup tonight behind Jake Allen, but since he might not make it on time local goaltender Tyler Stewart will take warm-ups with the team. To make room for Husso on the roster, Samuel Blais has been sent back to the minor leagues.
Brenden Dillon Suspended One Game For Slashing
Wednesday: Dillon indeed has been suspended for one game for the slash. As the video explanation notes:
It is important to note that this is not a slash delivered as part of a hockey play. Dillon is not attempting to alert an opponent to his presence, or to make a defensive play on a player with the puck. This is simply a frustrated player delivering a retaliatory and forceful slash to a vulnerable area of an opponent’s body.
Tuesday: TSN’s Bob McKenzie predicted it this morning and now it has come to fruition: San Jose Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillon will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety this evening regarding his actions in last night’s game against the Washington Capitals. The incident is question was a slash by Dillon on the Caps’ Madison Bowey late in the contest.
With just five seconds remaining in the game, a 4-1 Washington win, Dillon hit Bowey with a two-handed slash. The action earned him a five-minute major and game misconduct – serious albeit meaningless penalties with nearly no time left. Should Dillon receive a suspension, that could very well play a role in the decision. However, the overall intensity of the game could play in his favor. It was a chippy affair throughout, including a questionable hit by Joe Thornton on T.J. Oshie and even a roughing penalty for Bowey in response to Dillon’s slash. An outburst at the end of a combative game may not be seen as an individual attack by Dillon that warrants a suspension. It also helps Dillon’s case that Patrick Kane was just recently given only a fine for a similar two-handed chop.
While the Sharks await word on whether they will lose Dillon to suspension or not, they’ll need a contingency plan. San Jose has worked hard to climb back into playoff position in the Pacific Division and don’t want to drop one or more of their upcoming games against the Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, and Minnesota Wild because they couldn’t properly replace Dillon, given the recent injury to frequent backup Tim Heed. A strong defensive rearguard and a left shot, Dillon has been regularly skating alongside Brent Burns one the top pair this season, especially with Paul Martin sidelined. While the easy fix, should he miss time, would simply be to move Marc-Edouard Vlasic up a pair, but that could leave the bottom four too weak. Instead, moving Joakim Ryan up to the top pair and/or calling up young Jeremy Roy could be the solution.
Capitals' Stephenson Day-To-Day; Team Recalls Boyd
- Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washigton Post tweets that after suffering an injury in Saturday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals wing Chandler Stephenson is day-to-day. However, the team recalled Travis Boyd this afternoon from the Hershey Bears of the AHL, which suggests that Stephenson might miss some time. Stephenson, a bottom-line center, has two goals and six points in 18 games this season. Boyd has never played in the NHL before. He has three goals and 17 assists in 23 games for the Bears.
Burakovsky Resumes Skating, Expected To Return Within Next Three Weeks
- Capitals winger Andre Burakovsky is on pace to return to Washington’s lineup within the next three weeks, reports Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. He has been sidelined since late October after undergoing thumb surgery. The original timeline for his return was six-to-eight weeks so he appears to be on right on schedule. Tarik El-Bashir of NBC Sports Washington adds that Burakovsky was skating earlier today and doing some light shooting which is certainly a good sign as well.
Oilers Claim Nathan Walker Off Waivers
Nathan Walker became the first Australian-born player to play in the NHL earlier this season and he’ll soon become the first Australian-born player to play for a Canadian NHL team as well. The young forward was placed on waivers by the Washington Capitals yesterday and the Edmonton Oilers announced this morning that they have claimed him.
Walker, 23, had one goal in seven games for the Caps thus far this season, but played with an impressive edge in his bottom-six role. At just 5’9″, 186-lbs., Walker may not have the typical size of an energy line contributor, but makes up for it with more than enough actual energy. The disappointing Oilers could use an injection of tenacity and work ethic more than perhaps any other team in the league, making Walker a potential steal as a waiver claim.
In a corresponding move, Iiro Pakarinen has been placed on waivers by Edmonton. He joins Ottawa’s Chris DiDomenico on the wire today. Walker’s waiver wire partner yesterday, Buffalo’s Matt Tennyson, has cleared and has been sent down to the AHL’s Rochester Americans.
Nathan Walker Placed On Waivers By Washington Capitals
According to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post, forward Nathan Walker will be placed on waivers by the Washington Capitals today. Walker made his NHL debut this season and was the first Australian ever to play in the league, but is expected to be sent back to the minors should he clear.
Walker has suited up for seven games this season but had been pushed out of the lineup recently and didn’t have a clear path back. The 23-year old could be a potential claim for a team wanting to add some speed and tenacity to their bottom-six, but he does still lack the size many teams covet for their fourth line.