- Washington Capitals forward, Evgeny Kuznetsov, will miss another game due to illness, according to Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network. This will be the second game in a row that Kuznetsov has missed for the team, severely limiting their center depth. In somewhat mild offensive output to start the season, Kuznetsov has scored three goals and five assists in 14 games.
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Capitals Rumors
Latest On Martin Fehérváry
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.
Evgeny Kuznetsov Returns To Practice
- From one country’s capital to another, Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov returned to practice Monday morning, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. Kuznetsov was absent from the team’s Saturday game against the Blue Jackets and its preceding practice with an undisclosed illness. The Russian center is in the seventh season of an eight-year deal carrying a $7.8MM cap hit, and his offensive production is off to a mediocre start for a second straight season. Playing over 21 minutes per game, Kuznetsov has three goals and eight points in 14 contests in 2023-24.
Capitals Activate Joel Edmundson Off LTIR, Assign Dylan McIlrath To AHL
The Capitals are set to welcome back one of their offseason acquisitions as they announced that they have activated defenseman Joel Edmundson off long-term injured reserve. The previously reported activations of Anthony Mantha and Trevor van Riemsdyk were also confirmed. In a corresponding move, Dylan McIlrath has been assigned to AHL Hershey.
Edmundson was acquired just as free agency was starting this summer, coming over in a trade from Montreal in exchange for a third-round pick and a seventh-round selection, both in 2024. As part of the swap, the Canadiens held back half of Edmundson’s $3.5MM cap hit.
The 30-year-old suffered a hand injury early in training camp and has yet to play this season. Staying healthy has been a challenge for Edmundson who has also battled back issues over the past couple of seasons. Last year, he had 13 points along with 149 blocks and 112 hits in 61 games while averaging 19:34 of ice time and should push for a top four spot on Washington’s depth chart before too long.
Getting off to a strong start and staying healthy will certainly be important for Edmundson. It’s a contract year so he’ll be looking to prove that he can be serviceable and durable as he gets set to test free agency in the summer.
As for McIlrath, he was recalled last Saturday and got into one game, suiting up for the Caps on Tuesday. The 31-year-old has spent the bulk of the season with the Bears, picking up three assists and 23 penalty minutes in 11 games.
Capitals Loan Hardy Häman Aktell To AHL; Activate Two Off IR
The Capitals assigned rookie defenseman Hardy Häman Aktell to the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Friday, per a team release.
Häman Aktell, 25, didn’t make the Capitals’ opening night roster this season after signing a one-year, $870K entry-level contract in free agency. However, the former Predators prospect earned a recall just a handful of days into the year after notching a goal in two games with AHL Hershey and has remained on the roster since. The Swedish two-way puck mover had a strong preseason but earned only a limited look at the NHL level during his call-up, notching an assist and a -2 rating in six contests while averaging 10:38 per game.
Washington opted to sign Häman Aktell in free agency after he won two Swedish Hockey League championships in the last three seasons with Växjö Lakers HC, finishing second on the team in points with 36 in 51 games last year. As he does not require waivers, he was a logical choice to take off the 23-man roster, with both Anthony Mantha and Trevor van Riemsdyk being activated from IR ahead of tomorrow’s game versus the Blue Jackets, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.
Mantha, 29, had missed the past three games after taking a puck to the ear on November 8 against the Panthers and is projected to play a fourth-line role with Nic Dowd and Beck Malenstyn. Signed to a $5.7MM cap hit on an expiring deal, Mantha’s had another rough go of things to start 2023-24, recording just four points in ten games and seeing his ice time dip below 13 minutes per game. The 6-foot-5, 234-pound winger has played just 128 games with the Capitals since they acquired him via trade from the Red Wings three seasons ago, recording 62 points.
Meanwhile, van Riemsdyk is also returning to the 23-man roster after missing the past four contests with a lower-body injury sustained on November 4 against the Blue Jackets. The 32-year-old signed a three-year, $9MM extension to remain in D.C. last March and has one assist and a -1 rating through ten games, averaging 17:35 per contest. The nine-year veteran will form the right side of the team’s third pairing tomorrow with 2018 first-round pick Alexander Alexeyev on his left flank.
Martin Fehervary Close To Return
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.
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.
Kuemper Injured In Practice, Carbery Calls Situation Not Ideal
Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper has been limited to eight games so far due to injuries and it might be a bit before that number goes up. NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti relays that the netminder had to be helped to the dressing room after taking a shot to an unpadded area during practice today. Head coach Spencer Carbery didn’t have a direct update at the time but noted that Kuemper’s situation was not ideal. The 33-year-old has a 3.07 GAA with a .892 SV% so far this season and was already working his way back from an undisclosed injury. Charlie Lindgren has been the starter while Kuemper was out and that will continue to be the case while they determine how long this latest issue will keep the veteran out.
Afternoon Notes: Mantha, Grzelcyk, Avalanche
NHL.com writer Tom Gulitti tweeted today that Washington Capitals forward Anthony Mantha suffered a ruptured ear drum when an Evgeny Kuznetsov shot bounced off a defender’s stick and hit Mantha in the ear. The injury happened November 8th in a game against the Florida Panthers and led to the 29-year-old being placed on the injured reserve.
Mantha reportedly lost hearing in that ear for six days and has only now started to get it back. He reported feeling dizziness initially, but according to Tarik El-Bashir, he should be well enough to play on Saturday when he is eligible to come off the IR.
Mantha has three goals and an assist in ten games this season with the Capitals and has been a healthy scratch at times as he hasn’t been able to find his game in Washington. He had two of his goals in the Panthers game when he suffered the injury but was knocked out of the game before he could complete the hat trick.
In other notes:
- Boston Globe writer Conor Ryan is reporting that Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told the media today that he expects defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to be cleared to return to the Bruins lineup by this Saturday. The 29-year-old has been out of the lineup since October 30th when he suffered an upper-body injury in an overtime win against the Florida Panthers. Grzelcyk played just 3:29 in that game and left during the third period of the win. The native of Charlestown, Massachusetts has dressed in nine games this season and has a single assist but has looked off his game when in the lineup. His average ice time is down, as are many of his defensive numbers which could lead one to speculate if he was dealing with a nagging injury prior to sitting out these past few weeks.
- The Colorado Avalanche have announced that they’ve essentially reversed yesterday’s roster moves. The Avalanche sent Sam Malinski and Caleb Jones to the Colorado Eagles yesterday and today decided to recall both players. No word yet on why Colorado opted to change course, but both players are back on the Avalanche’s NHL roster as of this morning. Jones has an assist in his one NHL game this year while Malinski is pointless in one game.
Shepard Recalled By Capitals
- One of the most important defensemen for the New York Islanders, Adam Pelech, missed the team’s last game against the Washington Capitals just two days ago. In an update from Andrew Gross of Newsday, Pelech is officially listed as a game-time decision for their matchup against the Edmonton Oilers tonight but should be expected to play. Even though the Islanders have not gotten off to a terrific start to the season, Pelech still holds a 91.1% oiSV% in 10 games played on the year.
- In what will go down as another ’paper’ transaction on the season, the Capitals sent down goaltender Hunter Shepard and recalled him today in a separate transaction (X Link). Largely due to an injury to Charlie Lindgren, Shepard has played in two games for Washington this year, winning both, and posting a .915 SV% with a 2.50 GAA.
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Capitals Notes: Fehervary, Oshie, Pacioretty, Edmundson
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.