- For more than a week, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has been struggling with a lower-body injury, which has limited his participation in the team’s practices and preseason games. Fortunately, Ovechkin continues to take positive steps back to action, as Sammi Silber of the DC Backcheck reported that Ovechkin is participating in the team’s practice this morning, albeit in a non-contact jersey. There are no concerns for Ovechkin’s availability for Washington’s first game on October 8th.
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Capitals Rumors
Training Camp Cuts: 9/26/25
Today marks the second Friday of training camp. One week from now, we’ll be four days away from opening night. We continue to track roster cuts as they come across the wire. This piece will be updated throughout the day.
Buffalo Sabres (per team announcement)
D Noah Laberge (to QMJHL Newfoundland)
G Ryerson Leenders (to OHL Brantford)
Calgary Flames (per team announcement)
F Andrew Basha (to AHL Calgary)
F Parker Bell (to AHL Calgary)
F Lucas Ciona (to AHL Calgary)
F Martin Frk (to AHL Calgary)
F Alex Gallant (to AHL Calgary)
F Carter King (to AHL Calgary)
D Simon Mack (to AHL Calgary)
D Étienne Morin (to AHL Calgary)
G Connor Murphy (to AHL Calgary)
D Jérémie Poirier (to AHL Calgary pending waivers; placement will be Saturday)
G Arsenii Sergeev (to AHL Calgary)
F David Silye (to AHL Calgary)
F Carter Wilkie (to AHL Calgary)
Colorado Avalanche (per team announcement)
D Connor Kelley (to AHL Colorado)
D Hank Kempf (to AHL Colorado)
D Saige Weinstein (to AHL Colorado)
Columbus Blue Jackets (per Chris Johnston of TSN/The Athletic)
G Ivan Fedotov (to AHL Cleveland, pending waivers)
Edmonton Oilers (per team announcement)
D Beau Akey (to AHL Bakersfield)
F Connor Clattenburg (to AHL Bakersfield)
F Matt Copponi (to AHL Bakersfield)
G Nathaniel Day (to AHL Bakersfield)
F Seth Griffith (to AHL Bakersfield)
F Jayden Grubbe (to AHL Bakersfield)
F James Hamblin (to AHL Bakersfield, pending waivers; placement will be Saturday)
D Mason Millman (to AHL Bakersfield)
F Matvey Petrov (to AHL Bakersfield)
F Rem Pitlick (to AHL Bakersfield)
F Rhett Pitlick (to AHL Bakersfield)
D Luke Prokop (to AHL Bakersfield)
F James Stefan (to AHL Bakersfield)
F Brady Stonehouse (to AHL Bakersfield)
Nashville Predators (per team announcement)
D Scott Harrington (released from PTO)
D Cameron Reid (to OHL Kitchener)
New York Islanders (per Chris Johnston of TSN/The Athletic, team release, and Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News)
F Max Dorrington (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Liam Foudy (to AHL Bridgeport, pending waivers)
F Julien Gauthier (to AHL Bridgeport, pending waivers)
F Alex Jefferies (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Joey Larson (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Matthew Maggio (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Cole McWard (to AHL Bridgeport, pending waivers)
D Travis Mitchell (to AHL Bridgeport, pending waivers)
D Ross Mitton (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Calle Odelius (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Chris Terry (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Cam Thiesing (to AHL Bridgeport)
G Henrik Tikkanen (to AHL Bridgeport)
San Jose Sharks (per team announcement)
D Noah Beck (to AHL San Jose)
D Mattias Havelid (to AHL San Jose)
F Lucas Vanroboys (to AHL San Jose)
F Anthony Vincent (to AHL San Jose)
Utah Mammoth (per Chris Johnston of TSN/The Athletic, and a team release)
F Owen Allard (to AHL Tucson)
F Maksim Barbashev (to AHL Tucson)
D Kevin Connauton (to AHL Tucson, pending waivers)
F Caleb Desnoyers (to QMJHL Moncton)
D Artem Duda (to AHL Tucson)
F Michal Kunc (to AHL Tucson)
F Sam Lipkin (to AHL Tucson)
F Julian Lutz (to AHL Tucson)
F Miko Matikka (to AHL Tucson)
F Ryan McGregor (to AHL Tucson)
G Dryden McKay (to AHL Tucson)
D Lleyton Moore (to AHL Tucson)
F Noel Nordh (to AHL Tucson)
D Montana Onyebuchi (to AHL Tucson)
F Austin Poganski (to AHL Tucson)
F Jack Ricketts (to AHL Tucson)
D Maksymilian Szuber (to AHL Tucson)
F Ty Tullio (to AHL Tucson)
F Samuel Walker (to AHL Tucson)
G Dylan Wells (to AHL Tucson)
Vancouver Canucks (per team announcement)
D Sawyer Mynio (to AHL Abbotsford)
Washington Capitals (per Chris Johnston of TSN/The Athletic)
D Calle Rosen (to AHL Hershey, pending waivers)
F Spencer Smallman (to AHL Hershey, pending waivers)
Waivers: 9/26/25
The following players have hit waivers for pending AHL assignments today as camp cuts continue, per Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic. Everyone waived yesterday cleared, per PuckPedia.
Columbus Blue Jackets
New York Islanders
F Liam Foudy, F Julien Gauthier, D Cole McWard, D Travis Mitchell
Utah Mammoth
Washington Capitals
D Calle Rosen, F Spencer Smallman
Fedotov is the most eye-popping name here, but it’s not unexpected. It was clear after they acquired the netminder from the Flyers that they didn’t anticipate having him on the NHL roster as part of a three-goalie rotation with Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins and would place him on waivers during camp with the hope he’d clear and report to AHL Cleveland. Today is that day. They’re hoping his $3.275MM cap hit, albeit on an expiring deal, is enough of a deterrent for clubs not to claim the former KHL Goalie of the Year and highly-touted prospect. He posted a 6-13-4 record, .880 SV%, and 3.15 GAA in 26 appearances in his rookie season in Philly last year. If he clears and heads to Cleveland, he’ll still count for $2.125MM against the Jackets’ books.
None of the four names from the Islanders were expected to make legitimate ploys for a roster spot. Foudy and Gauthier are experienced names who will be high on the list of recall options from Bridgeport when the season gets underway, though. The duo combined for just three NHL appearances in 2024-25 but were among the farm club’s leading scorers. McWard and Mitchell will have a harder time finding opportunities to fill in on the NHL blue line and are likely ticketed to spend the whole year in Bridgeport behind more intriguing depth options like Ethan Bear and Isaiah George.
Connauton, 35, has 360 games of NHL experience but hasn’t appeared at the top level since the 2021-22 season. He’s slated to spend a fourth consecutive season in the minors as a result. He’s playing out the back half of the two-year, two-way deal he signed with Utah last summer. He served as an alternate captain for the club’s AHL partner in Tucson, posting a 6-11–17 scoring line with a -5 rating in 56 appearances while racking up 78 PIMs.
Rosen signed a two-way deal with the Caps this summer after spending last year in the minors in the Avalanche organization, where he had 34 points in 62 games for the Colorado Eagles. He’s got semi-considerable NHL experience with 93 games under his belt and will be among Washington’s top recall options from Hershey should they need an offensive-minded defender to fill in. Smallman, 29, is entering his ninth professional season without any NHL action to speak of. He signed a two-year, two-way extension with the club back in April to keep him with Hershey through 2026-27. He posted a career-high 10-24–34 scoring line in 62 games for the Bears last year.
Capitals’ Clay Stevenson Possible Waiver Claim Candidate
Kevin Weekes of ESPN noted earlier today that the Washington Capitals may be in danger of losing goaltender Clay Stevenson on waivers, as he has impressed in camp so far.
Coming out of the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express, Stevenson went undrafted, ending up at Dartmouth College, where he posted a standout .922 save percentage and a 2.70 GAA in 2021-22. Such performance caught the eye of the Capitals, who signed him to an entry-level deal. Stevenson spent the next season mostly in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays before graduating to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, where he split duty with Hunter Shepard, winning the Calder Cup in 2024.
The Alberta native made his NHL debut last April against Pittsburgh, a 5-2 defeat, despite making 33 saves. Having made a great impression in camp so far, and with a logjam in net as the Capitals have Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson set to hold things down, Stevenson has caught the eye of some teams, being just 26, with an impressive frame at 6’4″.
Perhaps Stevenson could be of interest to two contenders who have missing pieces between the pipes, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights. Both teams are thought to be searching for stability in the net and have been linked to Carter Hart as well. Given Frederik Andersen’s ongoing health issues and Pyotr Kochetkov’s overall inconsistency, the Hurricanes are evaluating many options.
Cayden Primeau stands as an intriguing in-house choice for Carolina, having flashed potential in the past with the Canadiens, and was acquired for just a 7th-round pick in June. Nonetheless, perhaps the Hurricanes could take a flyer on the Capitals’ netminder as the latest in their revolving door of depth goalies.
Meanwhile, the Golden Knights are no strangers to seeking goaltenders either, as they also face uncertainty, being thin behind Adin Hill. Akira Schmid, acquired from New Jersey, looked great in a small sample size last season (just 5 games), but Stevenson could have appeal as their latest under-the-radar pick-up.
Wherever any case, Stevenson is a name to watch as roster cuts loom.
Training Camp Cuts: 9/23/25
We’re nearly through the first week of training camps. Teams are still making initial cuts, trimming amateur invites and AHL-contracted players as they inch closer to their final 23-player opening night rosters. You can keep track of full training camp rosters here. We’re keeping track of all of today’s trimmings here:
Calgary Flames (via team announcement)
F Jacob Battaglia (to Kingston, OHL)
D Axel Hurtig (to Calgary, WHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team announcement)
G Evan Gardner (to WHL Saskatoon)
F Owen Griffin (to OHL Oshawa)
D Marcus Kearsey (released from ATO to QMJHL Charlottetown)
F Nicholas Sima (released from ATO to OHL Saginaw)
Dallas Stars (via team release)
F Jaxon Fuder (to WHL Red Deer)
Florida Panthers (via team release)
F Shea Busch (to WHL Everett)
D Carson Cameron (released from ATO to OHL Peterborough)
D Dennis Cesana (to AHL Charlotte)
F Riley Hughes (to AHL Charlotte)
D Cole Krygier (released from PTO)
F Josh Lopina (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
F Robert Mastrosimone (to AHL Charlotte)
F Shamar Moses (to OHL North Bay)
D Eamon Powell (to AHL Charlotte)
G Michael Simpson (to AHL Charlotte)
F Christophe Tellier (to AHL Charlotte)
D Mitchell Vande Sompel (to AHL Charlotte)
F Daniel Walcott (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
D Phip Waugh (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
D Andy Welinski (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
F Nicholas Zabaneh (to AHL Charlotte)
Pittsburgh Penguins (via team announcement)
F Travis Hayes (to OHL Soo)
Toronto Maple Leafs (via team announcement)
D Owen Conrad (to QMJHL Charlottetown)
Washington Capitals (via team announcement)
F Grant Cruikshank (to AHL Hershey)
G Seth Eisele (to AHL Hershey)
D Nick Leivermann (to AHL Hershey)
D Jon McDonald (to AHL Hershey)
F Justin Nachbaur (to AHL Hershey)
F Miroslav Satan (to OHL Saginaw)
F Maxim Schäfer (to QMJHL Chicoutimi)
F Dalton Smith (to AHL Hershey)
F Luke Toporowski (to AHL Hershey)
Martin Fehervary Trending Toward Playing In Preseason
It’s looking highly likely that the Capitals will have defenseman Martin Fehervary available for their opening night lineup. Head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters today, including Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, that he’s an option to play preseason contests as soon as this week .
Fehervary has been present at camp but skating in a non-contact jersey as he deals with some inflammation in his knee, the final remnants from season-ending meniscus surgery he underwent back in April. The 25-year-old regular in the Caps’ top six group of defenders sustained the corresponding injury in Washington’s penultimate game of the regular season, keeping him sidelined for their playoff run that came to an end in the second round against the Hurricanes. After spending the vast majority of the regular season as either John Carlson or Matt Roy’s left-hand man in Washington’s top four, his absence meant a regular role for former first-rounder Alexander Alexeyev, who subsequently left for the Penguins in free agency.
His health is an important storyline for the Caps, who have one of the deepest everyday defense lineups in the league but are lacking an excess of organizational depth past their top six. Fehervary’s absence lingering would have meant Washington was one injury away from having to give veteran minor-league mainstays Dylan McIlrath or Calle Rosen regular minutes, or giving another chance to still-developing prospects like Vincent Iorio. The Caps did make a move this summer to give themselves a more capable two-way option to have in their press box with everyone healthy, picking up Declan Chisholm from the Wild via trade.
But with Fehervary in the mix, he won’t be much of a factor, at least to start. His presence gives the Caps one of the more well-rounded left sides in the league with Jakob Chychrun and Rasmus Sandin manning the other two pairs. As far as Fehervary’s value goes, the 2018 second-rounder has been a quietly rock-solid top-four piece for a few years now. He recorded a career-high 25 points and a +18 rating in 2024-25, averaging 19 minutes per game while logging 150 blocks and 139 hits to rank second and third on the team, respectively. He’s arguably Washington’s most physically involved defender and signed a seven-year, $42MM extension at the beginning of free agency.
Snapshots: Capitals, Schmidt, Buium, Celebrini
Training camp updates are rolling in as many teams approach their first round of cuts. The most pertinent updates came for the Washington ahead of an early-morning scrimmage. Superstar Alex Ovechkin didn’t take the ice with the team as he continues to face a day-to-day, lower-body injury per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. Silber also reported that forward Justin Sourdif and defenseman Martin Fehervary continue to not take contact during practice, and thus didn’t take part in Washington’s scrimmage.
None of Washington’s updates are cause for much concern. Ovechkin is expected to continue progressing towards a return, and be held out of action as a precaution. Ovechkin will return to his perennial role on top of Washington’s lineup when the regular season kicks off. Fehervary is also still on an expected track, continuing to work his way back from a torn meniscus suffered late last season. He underwent surgery on the knee during the off-season, but has since been unable to kick minor inflammation. Once that goes down, he’ll return to a solid role in Washington’s daily lineup. Sourdif was facing illness, and should work back to full speed after taking a few laps with the non-playing group on Sunday.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Utah Mammoth defenseman Nate Schmidt was absent from the team’s Saturday practice. He was designated as day-to-day due to maintenance by head coach Andre Tourigny, per Cole Bagley of KSL Sports. That designation makes Schmidt’s availability over the next few days difficult, though it doesn’t seem the Mammoth are concerned about the long-term availability of their summer signing. Schmidt played a bottom-pair role on the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers last season, working his way up to 19 points in 80 games. He’ll likely fill a similar role in Utah, though brings the experience of a 741-game veteran and one-time Cup-winner to the NHL’s newest club.
- Continuing the list of absences was top Minnesota Wild prospect Zeev Buium, who missed his third-consecutive practice on Sunday per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Russo pointed out that Buium did skate with Jonas Brodin before practice started. Again, Buium’s ailment isn’t expected to be a serious issue, head coach John Hynes told Sarah McLellan of Star Tribune Sports. Buium will be pushing for a starring role on the Wild roster this season, after playing the first four games of his NHL career in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. He recorded one assist and four penalty minutes in those outings. An extended absence will make a run to the NHL a bit tougher, but the one-time NCAA National Champion should have no problem convincing the Wild brass when he’s back to full health.
- In a positive swing, San Jose Sharks star centerman Macklin Celebrini returned to the team’s practices after missing multiple days to illness, per Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. Celebrini won’t take part in San Jose’s first preseason game, though he’ll otherwise be fully on track to return to the role of San Jose’s top forward when the season kicks off. Celebrini scored 63 points in 70 games as a rookie last season, marking a franchise record in San Jose.
Ludwig Persson Named Early Camp Standout
- Training camp is the setting where aspiring NHLers look to make their mark and steal a spot on an NHL roster, and each year there are young players who come out of nowhere to leave a strong impression on their team’s management, even if they don’t ultimately land an NHL role that year. That exact scenario could end up playing out in Washington, where 2022 third-round Capitals draft pick Ludwig Persson has, per The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber, really “stood out” in the early portion of camp. The Swedish winger turns 22 in October and spent last season in the Finnish Liiga, scoring 16 points in 52 games for Jukurit. Persson got the chance to skate with established NHLers Connor McMichael and Tom Wilson at camp on Saturday, and while it’s difficult to see him ultimately making the team’s opening-night roster (he has just one game of professional experience in North America), his early camp performance could make him a prospect to watch moving forward for Capitals fans.
Trevor van Riemsdyk Out For Personal Reasons
- The Washington Capitals are without defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk today, and could be for the next few days. According to Sammi Silber of DC Backcheck, van Riemsdyk will miss today’s skate due to personal matters, most likely correlated to him and his wife expecting a child soon. The exciting news is likely the reason behind his older brother, James van Riemsdyk, being absent from the Detroit Red Wings’ training camp yesterday.
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Ovechkin Out Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury
- The Washington Capitals got a brief scare this morning when captain Alex Ovechkin left the team’s skate early, failing to return. Fortunately, it’s nothing serious, as Sammi Silber of DC Backcheck shared an update from head coach Spencer Carbery saying that Ovechkin is dealing with a mild lower-body injury, and his recovery timeline is day-to-day.
- Unfortunately, a few more members of the Capitals’ roster are dealing with mild injuries. Earlier today, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network reported that defenseman Martin Fehérváry and Justin Sourdif are skating in non-contact jerseys for today’s skate. Still, El-Bashir, nor anyone within the Capitals organization, has indicated that the injuries will affect either of their regular-season availability.
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