- Anthony Mantha of the Washington Capitals has been placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. Mantha carries a cap hit of 5.7MM through next season, and has struggled with nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points in 54 games. After scoring 49 goals from 2017-19, he has scored just 33 since the beginning of his current four-year contract.
Capitals Rumors
Anthony Mantha Out Day-To-Day
- We have an update on Anthony Mantha, who left last night’s Washington Capitals game with an injury. Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette says, via The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir, that Mantha’s status is officially considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. It’s been an extremely difficult season for Mantha, who hasn’t scored nearly as well as he’d likely have expected to. The 28-year-old has 24 points in 54 games this season, and will look to get back into the lineup so he can finish this season on a productive note.
Alex Ovechkin Expected Back This Week
Alex Ovechkin is expected back in the Washington Capitals lineup later this week. Emily Kaplan of ESPN reports that the Capitals star will return to the Washington area on Wednesday and could make his return to the lineup as soon as Thursday night. The Russian sniper has been away from the team since February 12th, dealing with the death of his father, Mikhail.
The team has told Ovechkin to take the time he needs before returning to the lineup, but Kaplan reports that he will likely return either Thursday or Saturday. The Capitals host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday before taking on the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon. Ovechkin has continued his torrid goal-scoring pace this season with 32 goals and 54 points in 54 games played. He will look to boost the Capitals playoff chances upon his return as they sit just outside the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.
Anthony Mantha Leaves Game With Upper-Body Injury
- The Washington Capitals have announced that forward Anthony Mantha has an upper-body injury, and will not return to tonight’s game. It’s been a rough season for Mantha and a difficult adjustment in Washington overall. Mantha has scored nine goals and 24 points in 53 games this season and is being outscored by two of the team’s bargain-bin veteran signings, Erik Gustafsson and Marcus Johansson. Hopefully, this injury proves to be just a minor setback so Matha can quickly return to the ice and work towards ending his season on the right foot.
Nic Dowd To Return For Capitals; Aliaksei Protas Sent Down
After a 10-day stretch since being recalled on February 11th, Washinton Capitals’ forward Aliaksei Protas has been reassigned to AHL affiliate Hershey Bears per a team announcement from Capitals’ General Manager Brian MacLellan. Protas’ assignment to the AHL affiliate paves the way for Nic Dowd’s return to the lineup. In 43 games this season, Protas has scored 10 points playing predominantly in the Capitals’ bottom six.
As Dowd returns, Protas will now see his third demotion of the season. Combining this season and last, Protas has played in a total of 76 games in the NHL, scoring six goals, and racking up 13 assists for 19 total points. Failing to carve out a permanent role for the Capitals, Protas will continue his development for the Hersey Bears, where he has scored at a much better rate over his career. In 50 games played for the Hershey Bears, Protas has scored 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 total points. For a bottom-six player in the NHL, there would be value in that kind of production.
Luckily for the Capitals, Dowd’s return gives them a valuable addition to their forward core. After scoring a career-high 24 points during the 2021-22 season, Dowd was awarded a 3-year contract from the Capitals last November. In 44 games played this season, averaging just under 13 minutes of ice time a night, Dowd has scored a total of 19 points. If he continues at this pace and plays in the remainder of the Capitals game this season, he will once again be in the range of setting a new career high in points.
As Dowd is reinserted into the lineup, the Capitals will look to end a current four-game losing streak. Recently sliding out of a playoff position due to this mild losing streak, the Capitals continue to have their sights on returning to the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season. As the Capitals await the return of longtime captain Alex Ovechkin from the unfortunate passing of his father, Dowd’s return will be a welcomed sight in a team in need of a rebound.
Nic Dowd On Verge To Return To Lineup
- Nic Dowd is on the verge of returning to the Capitals lineup, according to Tarik El-Bashir for The Athletic. Dowd, who has been out of the lineup since the Capitals’ January 16th game against the New York Islanders, will be a welcomed return to the Capitals’ bottom six. Scoring 19 points in 44 games this year, Dowd’s performance this season has made him a valuable depth center for Washington.
Capitals, Orlov, Negotiating Over Term Of Next Contract
- The Washington Capitals are trying to work out an extension with Dmitry Orlov, but Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic writes that “term is a significant issue” in the negotiations. Orlov, 31, has a lot of miles on his body, with more than 750 NHL games (regular season and playoffs) in an 11-year career, and is probably looking for one more big payday as he nears unrestricted free agency. Coming off a six-year, $30.6MM deal, he is playing nearly 23 a night for Washington, who have been without John Carlson for a big chunk of the year.
Tom Wilson Activated Off IR
- The Capitals have activated winger Tom Wilson from injured reserve, reports NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has been out for more than three weeks after blocking a shot off his ankle late last month. Between that and his recovery from knee surgery last spring, Wilson has been limited to just eight games so far, where he has two goals, an assist, and 33 hits.
Washington Capitals Re-Assign Dylan McIlrath To AHL
Saturday: McIlrath’s time with Washington has come to an end for the time being as the team announced that they’ve returned him to AHL Hershey. He suited up in Thursday’s game against Florida, logging 11:31 of ice time in his first action since 2019-20.
Wednesday: The Washington Capitals recalled defenseman Dylan McIlrath from the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Wednesday, the team said in a statement.
McIlrath’s recall comes as Washington has two players out of the lineup on personal leave: captain Alex Ovechkin and Aliaksei Protas. The Capitals don’t expect Ovechkin back in the lineup this week, as he remains in Russia after the passing of his father, while Protas returned to the team today after the birth of his and his wife’s first child, said NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.
With Alexander Alexeyev already on Washington’s roster as an extra defenseman, the chances of McIlrath’s season debut appear slim, barring injuries. Now in his second season in the Capitals organization, all 118 professional games since 2021-22 have come in a Bears uniform.
The 10th overall selection in the 2010 draft by the New York Rangers, McIlrath hasn’t played an NHL game in over three years. Now 30, McIlrath has kept up the physical pedigree that earned him his lofty draft position, but his play with the puck never translated into a meaningful NHL role.
In 44 games with Hershey this season, McIlrath has logged 10 assists and leads all Hershey skaters with 83 penalty minutes.
Carl Hagelin Undergoes Hip Surgery
It doesn’t seem like the Washington Capitals will be getting Carl Hagelin back this season. The veteran forward underwent hip resurfacing surgery on Monday and is now listed out indefinitely.
Hagelin, 34, has gone through a number of injuries over the last year and has not played yet this season. He underwent a hip procedure a few months ago, and had dealt with an eye injury that was affecting his vision.
In January, the speedy forward had been skating, and appeared to be on the road to recovery. But this latest surgery throws the rest of his career in doubt, given his age and the severity of the injury. Teammate Nicklas Backstrom underwent a similar procedure last year and has recovered well, but there are some other factors that could lead to a different outcome for Hagelin.
First and foremost, his contract with the Capitals expires at the end of the season. The four-year, $11MM deal signed in 2019 resulted in just 167 games played, as Hagelin spent more time on injured reserve than on the ice.
There’s also the question of effectiveness, even when healthy. Hagelin had scored just 17 goals in those three seasons with Washington, including three in 53 games during the 2021-22 campaign. While his speed still left him a capable penalty killer, most teams have younger options to fill that role – ones that aren’t coming off multiple hip surgeries.
Turning 35 in August, this could be the end for Hagelin in the NHL. If it is, he finishes with 713 games played, and two Stanley Cup championships. His versatility and work ethic made him a fan favorite anywhere he went, and that speed even landed him some down-ballot Selke love in his prime.