- Coach Peter Laviolette issued an update (relayed by Dan Rosen of NHL.com) on the status of Alex Ovechkin today. The Capitals’ captain has been out with an upper-body injury and did not play in the team’s season finale against the Rangers. But although he didn’t play in today’s game, it does seem that he is on track for a relatively soon return. Ovechkin skated this morning and had a “good day,” according to Laviolette, so it’s likely that he’ll be ready in time for the Capitals’ playoff series.
Capitals Rumors
Washington Capitals Sign Garin Bjorklund
The Washington Capitals have signed another prospect, this time inking Garin Bjorklund to a three-year entry-level contract. The young netminder played this season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, and signed an amateur tryout contract with the Hershey Bears earlier this month. The new entry-level contract will carry an average annual value of $843,333 and likely begins next season.
One might look at Bjorklund’s numbers in 2021-22 and wonder why the Capitals would even consider bringing him into the organization, but a huge part of his struggles was the poor play of the team around him. The Tigers put together one of the worst seasons in WHL history, winning just 11 of 63 games for a brutal 0.191 points percentage. The fact that Bjorklund even won eight games was a miracle, and his .877 save percentage in 48 appearances should be taken with a huge grain of salt.
Still, there’s obviously lots of work left to do for the 19-year-old netminder, who was a sixth-round pick in 2020. With a much more encouraging performance during the shortened 2020-21 season–and an impressive showing at last year’s development and training camp–Bjorklund will have to hope 2022-23, when he’s eligible for professional hockey, can be a jumping-off point for the rest of his career.
He’ll turn 20 in a month, meaning the Capitals could assign him to the AHL or ECHL next season to get him acclimated to the minor leagues. His contract will kick in regardless of where he plays, meaning he’ll be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2025.
Alex Ovechkin Still Out With Upper-Body Injury
The Washington Capitals will not have Alex Ovechkin in the lineup again this evening, as he continues to deal with an upper-body injury. The superstar winger did participate in today’s skate, however, and head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post that it is too early to tell whether Ovechkin will play in the season finale tomorrow.
Just the fact that he’s back on the ice is obviously a good sign, as it at least appears as though Ovechkin will be ready to start the playoffs. Who he and the rest of the Capitals will face in the first round is still a mystery, as they continue to battle with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Metropolitan Division playoff spot, but having the 50-goal scorer in the lineup is obviously the biggest priority at this point.
Joe Snively Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan
The Washington Capitals could be getting Joe Snively back as a depth option in the next little while, as the injured forward has been sent to the Hershey Bears on an LTIR conditioning loan. Snively is coming back from wrist surgery and will be eligible for the Bears first-round playoff series, should they want to insert him into the lineup.
Of course, while it’s great news for the Bears and their Calder Cup hopes, there is a bigger prize that the Capitals have their eyes on and Snively could potentially help them get there. This is a player that recorded four goals and seven points in his first 12 NHL games, and could potentially step into an offensive role should the Capitals suffer any injuries along the way.
For now, he’ll need to get back up to speed in the AHL. Snively had 38 points in 35 games to start the year with Hershey and should immediately give them another top-line player to help their playoff run. The team had middling success through the second half of the year and ended up going 34-32-10 on the year, good enough for fifth place in the Atlantic Division.
Joe Snively Resumes Skating
- Capitals winger Joe Snively skated for the first time on Sunday after undergoing wrist surgery last month, relays Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. The 26-year-old did well in his first career NHL recall, picking up four goals and three assists before being injured in his 12th game at the end of February. Nevertheless, Snively did well enough to earn a two-year, one-way extension which he inked last month. It’s unlikely that Snively will be in Washington’s lineup to start the playoffs but if some injuries strike, he could be an option to suit up.
Alex Ovechkin Listed As Day-To-Day With Upper-Body Injury
- Alex Ovechkin has been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury after leaving last night’s game for the Washington Capitals but was present on the ice and in full uniform at the team photo today. With the Capitals still trying to chase down the Pittsburgh Penguins for a better playoff position, losing Ovechkin over the last few games of the season will obviously be a big blow. But with their inclusion in the postseason secure, resting him through the next week may be the more prudent option. Ovechkin, who will turn 37 before the start of next season, has 50 goals and 90 points in 77 games this year.
Alex Ovechkin Leaves Game With Upper-Body Injury
According to Samantha Pell of the Washington Post, Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin left tonight’s game with an upper-body injury and will not return to the game (link). The injury happened early in the third period when Ovechkin found himself on a breakaway, but was tripped up by Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Erik Kallgren, who reached his stick out to try to poke the puck away from Ovechkin, who crashed awkwardly into the boards, lead by his left arm and shoulder. The star winger was able to get up under his own power, but immediately left the ice and went to the dressing room, not returning.
It doesn’t need to be said that the loss of Ovechkin, for any stretch of time, is a major loss for the Capitals. For tonight, Washington was able to rally around their captain after he left, scoring two quick goals to take a 3-1 lead before Toronto came storming back. However, with three games remaining after tonight, and in a tight battle with the Boston Bruins for the first Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference, Washington will need everything it can get out of Ovechkin. Standings battles aside, the team only has a little over one week before playoff games begin, where they will be facing either the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, or possibly the New York Rangers, none of whom will be an easy task.
At 36-years-old, Ovechkin is still his team’s most valuable player and making his own case as the league’s most valuable player this season, with 50 goals and 40 assists in 77 games, including tonight. The future hall-of-famer has been a rock for the Capitals, missing little to no games every season, including just two this year. Of course, it’s still too early to know any timetable for Ovechkin or the severity of the injury, but the Capitals and their fans will have to hold their breath on the status of their captain this close to playoff time.
Maple Leafs Notes: Bunting, Tavares, Muzzin, Liljegren
In talking to TSN’s Mark Masters, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe gave several updates on his team, which has several players banged-up. One of those players is rookie Michael Bunting. The breakout forward suffered an undisclosed injury in last night’s game, and while he did take a puck to the face, the belief is that the injury is in fact to Bunting’s leg. According to Keefe last night, he expected Bunting to miss some time, but did not disclose how much. Today, Keefe reiterated that Bunting would certainly miss some time, but did add that he woke up feeling a lot better than expected (link). Still, the team will wait until they get back to Toronto after their road trip to further evaluate Bunting and get a more clear picture of how much time he will miss.
Bunting’s absence, especially at this juncture, is of concern for Toronto. The team has several formidable offensive weapons, but Bunting’s breakout season, which has seen him score 23 goals along with 40 assists in 79 games has helped to take some focus off of Toronto’s other weapons. Tonight’s game at the Washington Capitals will be the first Bunting has missed this season.
- John Tavares, the Maple Leafs’ captain, will also miss tonight’s game, his second of the season and first since November (link). Tavares’ absence should be of no concern to Maple Leafs fans, as Keefe assured that this was merely a case of load management, acknowledging that despite being injured, Matthews’ absence from the lineup provided him with a break heading into the playoffs, something Tavares has not had.
- Defenseman Jake Muzzin will also be out of the lineup tonight, missing his sixth straight game (link). The exact nature of Muzzin’s injury is not clear, however it is not believed to be connected to the concussion that saw him miss significant time in February and March. Keefe did not provide any timeline for Muzzin on a return or any further absence. Muzzin has played in just 45 of the Maple Leafs’ 79 games this season, but getting him back in the lineup would be a key addition heading into the playoffs.
- Also missing tonight’s game is defenseman Timothy Liljegren, though his injury is considered a minor one (link). Keefe did not elaborate on the nature of Liljegren’s injury, or mention any timetable, however it does appear that the recently recalled Carl Dahlstrom will draw into the lineup in his place. The 27-year-old Dahlstrom has played in just two games at the NHL level this season for the Maple Leafs, recording an assist. In 47 games at the AHL level with the Toronto Marlies, Dahlstrom has 14 points, all assists.
Damien Riat Signs Extension In Switzerland
It seems as though Damien Riat’s time associated with the Washington Capitals could be coming to an end. The Swiss forward has spent this entire season on loan to Lausanne HC, and today the club announced that he has signed an extension.
Riat, 25, is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer when his entry-level contract expired. The Capitals could continue to hold his rights by issuing him a qualifying offer, though that would only last until he turns 27 in two years’ time. Given the fact that he already returned to Switzerland after just half a season with the Hershey Bears in 2020-21, it seems more likely that his time in North America is over.
A fourth-round pick of the Capitals in 2016, Riat burst onto the scene with several impressive international performances at the World Juniors, and then was part of the Swiss team that took home a silver medal at the 2018 World Championship. He’s been a strong performer for years in the NL (formerly the NLA), and this season put up 28 points in 35 games for Lausanne.
Last season, after starting the year in Switzerland, Riat came to North America for the first time and registered nine points in 33 games for Hershey. If that turns out to be his only taste of pro hockey on this side of the pond, it will seem like a bit of wasted potential. Perhaps he will revisit the idea in the future, though it is unclear how long this new multi-year contract extends.
Three Washington Capitals Picks Sign AHL ATOs
Three more Washington Capitals draft picks have decided to try their hand in the AHL, signing amateur tryout agreements today. Dru Krebs, Benton Maass, and Garin Bjorklund will all join the Hershey Bears for the rest of the season.
For Maass, it means leaving his college career behind after going all the way to the national championship with Minnesota State-Mankato. That was his first season with the Mavericks after transferring from the University of New Hampshire, where he played four other seasons. The sixth-round pick had 14 points in 42 games for Minnesota State, and will turn 24 in November. Whether he earns an entry-level contract still remains to be seen, but he would not have been eligible to play in the AHL had he signed one for this season.
Meanwhile, Krebs and Bjorklund are coming over from the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL after the team finished dead last in the league. With just 11 wins in 68 games, it’s hard to evaluate any of the Tigers’ players as potential NHL prospects as the group as a whole was overmatched nearly every night.
In Krebs case, the 19-year-old defenseman managed just 19 points in 66 games while racking up a whopping -58 rating, trying to play big minutes on a bad team. The younger brother of Buffalo Sabres forward Peyton Krebs, Dru was selected in the sixth round in 2021 and, despite his struggles, is an excellent skater with some obvious puck-moving upside.
Bjorkland, 19, was the goaltender left out to dry on most nights for Medicine Hat, posting an .877 save percentage in 48 appearances. Again, it’s difficult to really evaluate the young netminder’s upside at this point because of the team he played for, but Bjorklund did show well in the shortened 2020-21 season and could get a chance to show what he can do next season in the low minors. He’ll turn 20 next month, making him eligible for the AHL and ECHL, should the team decide to go that route with the 2020 sixth-round pick.