- 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.
Capitals Rumors
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.
Alex Ovechkin Away From Capitals For Personal Reasons
Feb 15: Ovechkin has announced the death of his father. Though no official timeline has been given for his return, head coach Peter Laviolette told the media, including Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, that he does not expect him back this week. That throws his status for Saturday’s Stadium Series game in jeopardy.
Feb 14: The Gretzky chase will have to wait. Alex Ovechkin will be away from the Washington Capitals to attend to a family matter and the health of a loved one.
After going scoreless in his last four, Ovechkin sits at 32 goals through 54 games this season and 812 for his career. Every time he lights the lamp, he inches closer to hockey immortality – and helps the Capitals fight for a playoff spot in the tough Metropolitan Division.
It is not clear how long he will be absent but will be missing at least tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes. The club also takes on the Florida Panthers on Thursday before meeting Carolina again on Saturday night.
Hopefully, the superstar winger will resolve whatever is taking him away and return to the team before long.
In the meantime, the Capitals have recalled Joe Snively to take his place. The 27-year-old winger has played six games with Washington this season, recording one point. The 5’9″ forward certainly isn’t a replacement for Ovechkin but is a nice offensive piece that the team can move around and potentially put on the powerplay.
Washington Capitals Recall Aliaksei Protas
The Washington Capitals have brought forward Aliaksei Protas back to their NHL roster, per a team announcement. His recall from the AHL’s Hershey Bears comes after the team sent him to the AHL to get a few games in during the Capitals’ break.
The Capitals play the Boston Bruins tomorrow, so this recall gives head coach Peter Laviolette an extra forward to work with as he prepares to take on the league leaders. Protas, 22, is a hulking six-foot-six forward who already has 75 games of NHL experience under his belt.
Protas has played most of this season in Washington, and has scored seven goals and ten points in 42 games. Last season, Protas split time between Washington and Hershey, scoring 24 points in 42 AHL games and nine points in 33 NHL games.
Protas has played in a depth role this season, and he averages just under eleven minutes of ice time per game, the least of all Capitals skaters with more than ten games played. He’s making $795k against the cap this season and will have a $789k cap hit next season before becoming eligible for restricted free agency.
Washington Capitals Extend Sonny Milano
UPDATE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the contract breakdown is $2.35MM in 2023-24, $1.9MM in 2024-25, and $1.45MM in 2025-26. The low actual salary in the final year of the contract makes it a more appealing sell at the trade deadline or pre-season if Washington opts to move on from Milano at the end of his contract.
The Washington Capitals have extended an offseason acquisition for the second day in a row. NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reports the team re-signed forward Sonny Milano to a three-year contract extension today, with an average annual value of $1.9MM.
Milano had a long and winding road to joining the Capitals for 2022-23, but it’s a shrewd move for general manager Brian MacLellan that’s paid off so far. The 26-year-old American has been a productive depth piece, scoring eight goals and 22 points in 40 games.
The news comes after Washington signed fellow newcomer Dylan Strome to a five-year, $25MM extension yesterday.
It’s a good bit of financial security for Milano, who cycled through a first-line role with the Anaheim Ducks, a failed professional tryout with the Calgary Flames, and now an almost $6MM commitment from the Capitals in less than a calendar year. He signed a one-year, league-minimum one-way contract with Washington on October 15, 2022, after he was cut from Flames camp and subsequently cleared waivers.
Milano was set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Washington Capitals Extend Dylan Strome
The Washington Capitals have announced a five-year, $25MM extension for Dylan Strome, keeping the free agent signing in town through 2027-28. CapFriendly has the full breakdown:
- 2023-24: $4.5MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
- 2024-25: $4.0MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
- 2025-26: $2.5MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
- 2026-27: $2.0MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
- 2027-28: $2.0MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan released the following:
Dylan is an intelligent and skilled center and has been a great addition to our organization. We are pleased to sign him to a long-term contract. We feel his skill set is a great fit for our team as he enters the prime years of his career at an important position.
No one has ever doubted Strome’s offensive ability. The 25-year-old has always been able to rack up points on the powerplay, and has positional versatility at even strength, able to play center and the wing. But it’s all the other things about his game that have been criticized over the years.
Defense, work ethic, decision-making – all things that can quickly get you in the dog house of a coaching staff. It’s what ended up leading to a number of healthy scratches in Chicago, and eventually the Blackhawks’ decision to leave him unqualified, allowing Strome to walk into free agency.
A one-year, bet-on-yourself deal with the Capitals has paid off, as Strome now has some career and financial stability with Washington. A $5MM cap hit makes him a core piece of the team, and one that certainly won’t be sitting in the press box anymore.
There is some risk from the team side, given his history, but Strome is still just 25 and has a ton of hockey in front of him. With so many key players nearing the end of their careers or the end of their contracts, the window isn’t that long for Washington. Giving Strome more term for a lower cap hit now, allows them to load up and try to go for a few more runs with Alex Ovechkin and the gang.
Aliaksei Protas Reassigned To AHL
After an overtime win last night, the Washington Capitals are now on break for the next ten days. Aliaksei Protas, however, won’t get quite as much rest. The young forward has been reassigned to the minor leagues, where the Hershey Bears play three games in the next few days.
Protas, 22, has played 42 games for the Capitals this season but only one in the last few weeks as the team started to get back some veteran forwards. With ten points in those games he has surpassed his total from last season but hasn’t taken quite the step some expected after a good rookie showing.
The massive, 6’6″ forward still doesn’t use his frame as effectively as he could and fails to get on the inside of the defense very often. There’s a belief that big power forwards take a little longer to develop, though, so any experience that Protas can get is valuable.
In the minor leagues this season, Protas has three points in five games. He’ll get a chance to score his first AHL goal of the year while the rest of the Capitals enjoy some rest and relaxation.
Tom Wilson Out Until After All-Star Break
- Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters including NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link) that they have ruled out winger Tom Wilson for their final two games before the All-Star break. The 28-year-old left Tuesday’s game against Colorado after blocking a shot off his right leg. The team plans to re-evaluate him after the break. Wilson has played in just eight games this season after missing time with an ACL injury and has two goals and an assist so far.