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Metro Notes: Shepard, Gaudreau, Fast

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The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard from their AHL affiliate the Hershey Bears. The 28-year-old Shepard has seen action with the Capitals already this season and made his NHL debut back in October when he led Washington to a victory over the New Jersey Devils. Shepard has a 2-1-1 record at the NHL level with a .894 save percentage and a 3.19 goals-against average.

Shepard’s recall is for cautionary purposes as the Capitals still have concerns about the status of Darcy Kuemper after he left yesterday’s practice in pain. Kuemper practiced today with the team and looked okay, but with Washington having a back-to-back against Pittsburgh and Carolina, the extra netminder was deemed a necessity.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets are without the services of Johnny Gaudreau this evening as he is dealing with an illness and was unable to dress for the game against the New York Islanders. Gaudreau had dressed in all 75 of the Blue Jackets games this season and has 11 goals and 45 assists in what has been another disappointing campaign for the 30-year-old since coming over as a free agent from Calgary in the summer of 2022.
  • Carolina Hurricanes reporter Walt Ruff tweeted that Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast re-joined the team this evening for their game against the Boston Bruins. Fast has been dealing with an upper-body injury that caused him to miss the last six games and will now take the place of Jesperi Kotkaniemi who was a healthy scratch. The light-scoring Fast has just six goals and 12 assists in 66 games this season and has seen a drop in his average ice time by almost two minutes per game from his career average. Despite the reduction in ice-time, Fast has maintained strong underlying numbers, particularly at even strength. 

Injury Notes: Couturier, Hamonic, Oshie

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It has been revealed that Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier is facing a sprained shoulder, per NHL.com’s Kevin Kurz (Twitter link). Couturier seems to have dodged more serious injury and continues to carry the day-to-day injury designation given to him on Wednesday and is questionable for the team’s Friday night game.

Couturier has had an eventful season since being named Philadelphia’s first captain since Claude Giroux on February 14th. He’s since managed just three assists through 20 games, adding 11 penalty minutes and a -17. The cold streak has earned him two healthy scratches that he hasn’t yet vindicated – riding a six-game scoreless streak since returning to the lineup. Couturier managed 30 points in 41 games of the season but has since fallen apart. Hopefully a clean bill of health following this shoulder injury can bring with it a resurgence on the scoresheet.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Ottawa Senators are expected to be without defenseman Travis Hamonic on Thursday night due to a lower-body injury, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun (Twitter link). Hamonic has missed 16 of Ottawa’s last 17 games with this injury and continues to miss time even after being removed from injured reserve on March 19th. He’s played in just 48 games this season, recording six points, 40 penalty minutes, and a -10. He joins Thomas Chabot on the team’s sideline, with Tyler Kleven benefiting most from the pair’s absences.
  • T.J. Oshie missed the Washington Capitals practice on Thursday, instead seeing the team’s doctor for an upper-body injury. Head coach Spencer Carbery shared that the injury will hold Oshie out of Washington’s next two games, per Bailey Johnson of the Washington Post (Twitter link), as the Capitals face a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday. His next chance to return will come on Sunday, when Washington hosts the Ottawa Senators. Oshie has played in just 47 games this season, recording 11 goals and 19 points.

Capitals Reassign Matthew Phillips

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The Capitals have loaned right-winger Matthew Phillips to AHL Hershey, GM Brian MacLellan announced today. His roster spot goes to Tom Wilson, who is eligible to return tomorrow against the Penguins after serving a six-game suspension for high-sticking Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor.

Phillips, 25, has actually been recalled multiple times over the past two weeks, appearing on Washington’s roster on three separate emergency loans since Wilson’s suspension. He only entered the lineup in the first game of Wilson’s absence, skating just over four minutes in a 7-6 shootout win over the Hurricanes on March 22. Barring further injuries or suspensions, this transaction is likely Phillips’ last of the regular season.

It’s been a tumultuous campaign for the top minor-league producer, who landed his first one-way contract in free agency with the Caps last summer. However, he hasn’t spent the entire season in the Washington organization – he was claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh when the Capitals attempted to assign him to the minors in mid-Februrary. After a three-game stint in the ’Burgh, he landed on waivers again in early March, upon which Washington reclaimed him and sent him directly to Hershey.

Unfortunately for the 5’8″ winger, his strong recent history at the AHL level hasn’t translated to the majors. He’s been rendered ineffective in 31 NHL games with the Caps and Pens this season, limited to one goal and four assists with poor possession impacts. It’s quickly becoming clear the 2016 sixth-round pick is best suited for the minor-league level, where he has a goal and two assists in limited action (five games) with league-leading Hershey.

He should play a key role in Washington’s affiliate’s quest to win back-to-back Calder Cup championships. The Alberta native was electric over his previous two seasons in the Flames organization, scoring 67 goals and 144 points in 131 regular-season games for AHL Stockton/Calgary. Upon expiry of his one-year, $775K contract, he’s set to remain under team control this summer as an RFA.

The Caps managed a 3-2-1 record in their last six contests without Wilson, keeping pace in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. They hold the second wild-card spot ahead of Wednesday’s action with 82 points, one back of the Flyers, who occupy third place in the Metropolitan Division, although they’ve played two fewer games. Events are transpiring toward a three-team coin flip for the final two spots, with odds slowly evening out between Philadelphia (61.9%), Washington (54.8%) and Detroit (42.8%), per MoneyPuck. A crucial overtime win over the Flyers earlier this week has the Islanders back in the playoff conversation too, although they can likely only afford one loss in their seven remaining games with only a 22.7% chance at postseason play.

Rasmus Sandin Returns To Practice, Expected Back Tuesday

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  • Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin was on the ice for practice Monday after missing Saturday’s shootout loss to the Bruins with a lower-body injury, reports Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. He was a late scratch with the injury and wasn’t issued a timeline beyond day-to-day evaluation, suggesting his absence would be short-term. All signs point to the 24-year-old Swede reentering the lineup tomorrow against the Sabres as the Caps aim to pull away from the Flyers and secure third place in the Metropolitan Division. In his first full season in the nation’s capital, Sandin has 23 points in 64 games while playing 21:20 a night, second on the team behind John Carlson.

Rasmus Sandin Out With Lower-Body Injury

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  • Another Eastern Conference wild-card hopeful is short a defenseman tonight. The Capitals didn’t have Rasmus Sandin available against the Bruins tonight due to a lower-body injury, per the team. As a result, 21-year-old Vincent Iorio made his season debut after being recalled from AHL Hershey on Wednesday. Sandin, 24, had a difficult stretch to begin the season but has improved as the campaign progresses, now up to 20 assists and 23 points in 64 games while averaging over 21 minutes a night. While his possession numbers have been rather pedestrian, and he won’t reach last year’s career-high 35 points, this is his first season in an everyday top-four role, and some growing pains were to be expected. Washington inked the 2018 first-round pick of the Maple Leafs to a five-year, $23MM extension earlier this month.

Milano Returns From Upper-Body Injury

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The Capitals will welcome back winger Sonny Milano to the lineup tonight against Boston, notes Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.  He had missed the last two games due to an upper-body injury sustained back on Sunday.  The 27-year-old has reached the double-digit goal mark for the third straight year as he has 13 in just 39 games, buoyed by a 31.7 shooting percentage that is nearly double his career average.  Washington has clawed its way back into a playoff spot in recent weeks and are holding down the final Wild Card spot although they are just one point behind Philadelphia for the final spot in the Metropolitan Division.

Minor League Notes: Carriere, Bucheler, Hanzel, Hanelt

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The San Jose Barracuda have joined in on the NCAA free agent market, signing University of Vermont defenseman Jérémie Bucheler and goaltender Gabriel Carriere (Web link). Carriere is signing after his senior year, having spent all four college seasons with Vermont. He’s become a pivotal piece of their lineup since joining in 2020-21, totaling 89 games with the club, while no other goalie topped 25. And he’s performed well in the role, with 28 wins ranking him as the fourth-winningest goalie in Vermont’s history. His career .908 save percentage ranks 10th in club history.

Meanwhile, Bucheler just completed his first season with the Cougars, joining via the transfer portal after four years at Northeastern University. Bucheler had the best season of his collegiate career in Vermont, setting career-highs in all scoring categories on his way to six goals and 18 points in 33 games. He also served as an assistant captain for the club. Bucheler played in five collegiate seasons, totaling 143 games and 46 points. He’s already made his professional debut, stepping into the Barracuda’s lineup on Wednesday night. He went without a point, but did record his first shot on goal.

Other notes from the minor-leagues:

  • The Milwaukee Admirals have signed WHL defenseman Jeremy Hanzel to an amateur try-out (Twitter link). Hanzel was the main return in the Trade Deadline move that sent Yakov Trenin to the Colorado Avalanche, moving to the Predators organization alongside a 2025 third-round pick. Colorado originally drafted Hanzel in the sixth-round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He’s now signing his first pro deal after four seasons with the AHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, where he totaled 149 points in 218 career games. He also showed plenty of clutch, with 35 points in 44 playoff games. Hanzel is a great on-puck defender that knows how to find teammates and draw opponents out of position. He’ll look to maintain that poise into the pros, moving to the AHL for the remainder of the season.
  • Washington Capitals draft prospect Haakon Hänelt has signed a professional try-out with the AHL’s Hershey Bears (Twitter link). The 20-year-old forward – who can also play defense – has spent all season in the DEL, Germany’s top league. He’s scored two points, split evenly, in 38 games this season – his second stint in the league after spending the last two years in the QMJHL. The Capitals drafted Hanelt in the fifth-round of the 2021 NHL Draft.

Capitals Recall Vincent Iorio, Matthew Phillips

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The Washington Capitals have recalled forward Matthew Phillips and defenseman Vincent Iorio to the NHL roster (Twitter link). This move brings Phillips back to the NHL after being sent down earlier in the week and marks the second call-up of Iorio’s career.

Iorio’s first call-up came in March of last season and awarded him with the first three NHL games of his career. He managed one assist in those appearances while averaging just over 14 minutes of ice time. He’s yet to fight his way back into the Capitals lineup, instead spending all of this season with the AHL’s Hershey Bears – scoring four goals, 14 points, and 30 penalty minutes in 60 appearances, a step down from his 22 points in 63 games as an AHL rookie last year.

But he’ll be leaned on once again, with fellow defenseman Ethan Bear out indefinitely after entering the NHL Player Assistance Program. Bear was serving as Washington’s seventh defenseman and hadn’t played since March 13th. Iorio will step into that depth role, looking to compete with Alexander Alexeyev for a spot on the team’s lineup.

Phillips’ recall could be an indication of Sonny Milano’s availability. Milano is working his way back from an upper-body injury suffered in Washington’s Sunday win over the Winnipeg Jets. He missed the team’s Tuesday night game but has continued appearing at the team’s practices, including taking the ice during their off-day this morning. Washington will test Milano’s readiness ahead of their Thursday matchup against Toronto, with Phillips as their fill-in if he can’t go.

Ethan Bear Enters NHL Player Assistance Program, Out Indefinitely

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The NHL has announced that Washington Capitals defenseman Ethan Bear will be out indefinitely while receiving care from the NHL Player Assistance Program (Twitter link). He’s scored four points in 24 games since making his season debut in late December.

Bear’s season kicked off late, with a shoulder injury suffered during the 2023 IIHF World Championship lingering through the first half of the year. He became a free agent after his surgery – after the Vancouver Canucks went chose not to extend a qualifying offer – and he held off negotiations on a new deal until December. There were reportedly plenty of teams in the mix on Bear, including Vancouver. But he ultimately decided on Washington, moving to his fourth team in the last three years with a two-year, $4.125MM contract. He made his season debut on December 31st and scored his first goal (and so far, his only goal) of the year nine games later.

This year is Bear’s fifth season in a full-time NHL role, following his rookie season in 2019-20 when he scored 21 points in 71 games. That has stood as his career-high in scoring, though he came within a few points when he scored 16 in 61 games last year. Bear has established himself as a solid bottom-four option at the NHL level, averaging 18-and-a-half minutes of ice time through 275 career games. Alexander Alexeyev has gained a bigger role in his absence, recording one goal and three points through 28 games this season.

Afternoon Notes: Kolosov, Milano, Gustafsson

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The Philadelphia Flyers are expected to add goaltender Alexei Kolosov, following the end of his KHL season with Dinamo Minsk. The Russian club officially announced the transfer in a press release thanking Kolosov for his four years with the club (Twitter link).

Kolosov, 22, has established himself as Dimano Minsk’s clear-cut starter over the last two seasons – managing 13 wins and a .912 save percentage in 42 games last season and 22 wins and a .907 in 47 games this year. He’s played ahead of Canadian Dylan Ferguson, who is in his first KHL season after playing in two games with the Ottawa Senators last year.

The Flyers drafted Kolosov in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft. He was the third goalie selected in that class after both Sebastian Cossa and Jesper Wallstedt were selected in the first round. Kolosov signed his entry-level contract with the Flyers in early July. He was loaned back to Russia soon after, though his contract wasn’t eligible for an entry-level slide, meaning this season has burned the first year of his three-year deal. Kolosov now joins a Flyers team with an open backup spot, stepping into a competition with Felix Sandstrom and Calvin Petersen.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Washington Capitals could add forward Sonny Milano back to the lineup on Tuesday, with head coach Spencer Carbery saying his attendance will be based on how he feels leading up to the game (Twitter link). Milano left the team’s Sunday game against Winnipeg early with an upper-body injury. He will help Washington fill-in for the suspended Tom Wilson, if he’s healthy enough to play.
  • The New York Rangers designated defenseman Erik Gustafsson as day-to-day with an upper-body injury ahead of their Monday morning practice, which Gustafsson missed (Twitter link). Gustafsson seemed to suffer the injury in the team’s Saturday game against the Florida Panthers, taking a high hit from Sam Reinhart. He is questionable for the team’s Tuesday night game against Philadelphia, which could open the door for Brandon Scanlin to make his NHL debut.

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