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Sonny Milano, Nic Dowd, Nick Jensen Return To Ice

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After a loss to the Detroit Red Wings last night, the Washington Capitals should see the return of several players back into the lineup. Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network is reporting that Sonny Milano, Nic Dowd, and Nick Jensen have all returned to the ice for practice.

The return of Jensen from a lower-body injury adds to the team’s already above-average defensive depth, and may even make the team more comfortable moving out pending unrestricted free agent Joel Edmundson before the March 8th trade deadline. In regards to the return of Milano and Dowd, the Capitals will be able to return Michael Sgarbossa and Pierrick Dube to their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, where they have each spent most of the year up to this point.

In eight games leading up to last night’s loss, Washington began building some serious momentum toward a playoff berth, putting together a 5-1-2 record. After yesterday’s game, the Capitals are now six points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, with only three games remaining until the trade deadline.

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  • Blocking a total of five shots in last night’s game against the Capitals, Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider was in visible pain for much of the game. Heavily utilized by Detroit, Seider has averaged 22:14 minutes a night throughout this season, but would only play in about 18 minutes of yesterday’s contest. In positive news, the team announced that there is no injury concern for their top defenseman, and he will be good to go tomorrow.

Capitals Place T.J. Oshie On IR, Out Week To Week

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Capitals winger T.J. Oshie has been placed on injured reserve and is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports. The move opens up the necessary roster spot to recall winger Ivan Miroshnichenko from AHL Hershey, which was announced by the team earlier Monday.

Oshie, 37, left Thursday’s game against the Lightning after a non-contact injury late in the third period. Initially suspected as a lower-body injury based on the way he fell, his injury designation has changed to upper-body, generating some concern the ailment could be related to the back issues that have hampered him over the past few years. While he’s only been ruled out of Washington’s next two contests, he’ll likely miss a significant chunk of time.

The Capitals have kept Oshie in a top-six role this season, but age is catching up to the veteran winger, and his production has dipped as a result. He was on a tear before the injury, with six points in his last six games, but that rush only brought him up to 10 goals and 18 points in 38 games on the season. He’s bounced around various line combinations this season, recording a middling CF% of 47.2 at even strength. However, he hasn’t graded out as a particularly strong possession player for a few years.

It’s still a tough break for the Capitals, who need all the help they can get to make up ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race. It’s even more concerning for Oshie’s long-term health, as he’s already missed two significant chunks of the season with upper- and lower-body injuries. The 2005 first-round pick of the Blues is four games short of 1,000 in his career and has one season remaining on his eight-year, $46MM extension signed with the Caps in 2017.

The Caps are eight points behind the Lightning with four games in hand for the last wild-card spot in the East, although they’ve only won four of their last 10 games. Their -31 goal differential is also third-worst in the conference, only ahead of the Canadiens and Blue Jackets.

Anthony Mantha Drawing Trade Interest

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The Capitals have bandied moving winger Anthony Mantha and his $5.7MM cap hit throughout much of the last two seasons after he struggled with injuries and failed to recapture his production from his first-line days in Detroit. With this year’s trade deadline less than two weeks away, there may finally be a match for Mantha to move elsewhere with no term left on his contract, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.

Mantha, 29, had a disastrous campaign last year, dropping a career-worst points-per-game pace with 27 in 67 games and falling out of the lineup entirely at points. He’s rebounded somewhat in 2023-24, at least in the goal-scoring department. His 18 markers in 52 games rank second on the team, although his overall point production of 29 isn’t what you’d hope for at his price tag.

His possession numbers have seen a massive jump, though, posting a +7.1 expected rating and 51.3 CF% at even strength, the latter of which leads all Capitals forwards with more than 10 games played. He’s done so in easier minutes, averaging only 13:51 per game. While he does see some defensive usage 5-on-5, making 54.7% of his even-strength zone starts in the defensive end, he hasn’t seen any penalty kill usage with Washington this year. Most of his time has been spent on a line with youngsters Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas, whose unit leads the team with a 57.4 expected goals percentage among Caps lines with over 100 minutes together, per MoneyPuck.

The Capitals sit eight points behind the Lightning for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, but they have four games in hand on their former Southeast Division rivals. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and TSN reported Friday that Washington was undecided on their trade deadline strategy and would wait until further down the schedule before deciding to sell off their pending UFAs and hamper their chances of making the playoffs. The math isn’t in their favor despite the games in hand, however – a tough schedule and poor advanced numbers have the Capitals with just an 11.1% chance at the playoffs, per MoneyPuck, behind other wild-card hopefuls such as the Devils and Penguins.

Washington is 4-3-3 in their last ten games, a pace they’ll need to improve upon. With injuries piling up to depth forwards like Nic Dowd and T.J. Oshie, plus multiple games against key playoff competitors like Pittsburgh and Detroit in the coming days, they’ll need some big performances from core pieces Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, and John Carlson to make a miracle happen. Mantha himself is dealing with a lower-body injury and will be a game-time decision tonight against the Senators, the team said. However, head coach Spencer Carbery said there’s a “good chance” he draws in after leaving Saturday’s overtime loss to the Panthers prematurely.

A Mantha move would likely start a domino effect of Washington’s other major pending UFAs – defenseman Joel Edmundson and wingers Nicolas Aubé-Kubel and Max Pacioretty – finding new homes by the March 8 deadline. Pagnotta says multiple teams have called about Mantha, namely the Avalanche, Maple Leafs and Oilers. All three teams would need Washington to retain a solid chunk of Mantha’s cap hit to swing a deal, which the Capitals are free to do with all three retention slots open. Colorado has extremely limited space, even with captain Gabriel Landeskog on LTIR, and would likely need to move money out and have a third team retain money in a Mantha trade to make an acquisition work.

With the Capitals still in the playoff race, albeit barely, they’re likely still in the “taking calls” stage on Mantha rather than actively shopping him. They still have 11 days to make a decision before the deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Capitals Recall Ivan Miroshnichenko

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The Capitals have recalled winger Ivan Miroshnichenko ahead of tonight’s game against the Senators, per a statement from GM Brian MacLellan. Miroshnichenko could play instead of winger Anthony Mantha, who departed Saturday’s game against the Panthers with an undisclosed injury. However, Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post reports that Mantha is wearing a normal jersey at this morning’s practice.

Miroshnichenko, 20, was the 20th overall selection in the 2022 draft out of the KHL’s Avangard Omsk organization. The 6-foot-1 sniper signed his entry-level contract last May after beating Hodgkin’s lymphoma during the latter half of his draft year and has gotten his first taste of North American hockey this season. He has nine goals, 16 assists and 25 points with a +15 rating through 47 games with the AHL-best Hershey Bears. He made his NHL debut as part of a four-game stint on the roster in late December, recording a -3 rating and six shots on goal while averaging 10:23 per game.

It’s clear he’s not quite ready for a full-time NHL role, but he’s trending nicely in his first pro season this side of the Atlantic. He has a goal and three assists in his last 10 outings for Hershey.

Dobber Prospects has Miroshnichenko ranked as the fourth-best prospect in Washington’s system, slightly behind Boston College star winger Ryan Leonard, burgeoning full-time center Connor McMichael, and high-ceiling 2023 draft pick Andrew Cristall.

The Capitals’ 23-man roster is full, so a corresponding transaction is necessary to recall Miroshnichenko. T.J. Oshie is listed as out with a lower-body injury sustained Feb. 22 against the Lightning with no timeline for a return but remains on the active roster, so he’ll likely be designated for injured reserve to create a roster spot.

Capitals Recall Hendrix Lapierre

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The Capitals summoned 2020 first-round pick Hendrix Lapierre from AHL Hershey on Friday, per a team release. Washington must open a roster spot to execute this recall, meaning either Nic Dowd or T.J. Oshie has likely been placed on IR. Dowd has been out for the last three days with an upper-body injury, while Oshie sustained a non-contact lower-body injury against the Lightning yesterday and is still undergoing evaluation, head coach Spencer Carbery said. Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports that Dowd will be the one heading to IR, ruling him out of Washington’s next two games.

Lapierre, 22, skated in 25 games for the Capitals earlier this season, scoring twice and adding five assists with a -3 rating while averaging a paltry 9:34 per game. He’s been in Hershey for the last month, where he’s taken a leap forward in his development with 17 points in 21 on the AHL’s best team.

Viewed as a top prospect heading into the 2020 draft, serious injuries limited his draft stock and allowed him to slip out of the top 15. He’s rebounded nicely, averaging over a point-per-game in juniors after his draft and demonstrating linear growth with Hershey.

Lapierre is a projected scratch for tomorrow’s game against the Panthers, although he may slot into the lineup in a bottom-six role if the Capitals opt not to have another recent call-up, Pierrick Dubé, make his NHL debut.

The Gatineau, Québec, native remains waivers-exempt in the second season of his entry-level deal. He carries a cap hit of $863.3K and will be an RFA in 2025.

Capitals, Predators Undecided On Deadline Strategy

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Both the Capitals and Predators remain within striking distance of a playoff spot two weeks away from the trade deadline. However, the pair of former and current Barry Trotz-staffed teams aren’t exactly underperforming their already mediocre expectations. As such, stretches of inconsistent play for both teams have them undecided on whether to sell off their pending UFAs, Pierre LeBrun reports for The Athletic on Friday.

The Capitals and Predators are ninth in their respective conferences and have no teams to leapfrog to get into the last Wild Card spot. Nashville has a greater chance of making it in – they’re tied with the eighth-place Blues at 62 points but have played one more game than their Central Division rivals. Washington is five points behind the Lightning and has three games in hand, still giving them a decent shot to make up ground over the next two weeks despite a -30 goal differential that ranks seventh in the Metropolitan Division.

As LeBrun reports, it’ll be a waiting game for each front office as they hold off for as long as possible before deciding whether or not to acquire assets or make a run for the postseason. Two of the Capitals’ next four games are against key divisional and Wild Card rivals in Detroit and Philadelphia – a pair of wins there, plus a victory over the division-worst Senators, put them in a favorable position to make it a battle down the stretch for captain Alex Ovechkin to make his return to playoff hockey.

Nashville’s next three games all come against bottom-feeder teams before an all-too-important clash with the Wild, another Wild Card challenger, to close out the month. The Blues have a much more difficult schedule to close out February, facing three teams in playoff position in Detroit, Winnipeg and Edmonton – all on the road.

Joel Edmundson, Anthony Mantha and Max Pacioretty would be the primary trade targets from Washington, and LeBrun reports GM Brian MacLellan is willing to retain salary if they opt to sell. All three of their retention slots are open. Edmundson, in particular, would be a doable add for any contender – the Capitals already have him at half his original cap hit after a retained salary trade from the Canadiens. They could further slash his cap hit to $875K if they retain half in a second deal. He has a 10-team no-trade clause as part of his deal, however.

Pacioretty fully controls his destiny with a no-movement clause. However, at age 35 and coming off back-to-back Achilles tendon injuries, he’d likely want a chance at a Stanley Cup elsewhere if Washington decides to sell. The six-time 30-goal scorer has just one marker in 20 games this season.

The 29-year-old Mantha is having somewhat of a resurgence under first-year head coach Spencer Carbery with 18 goals in 51 games, his highest goal total since back-to-back 20-goal campaigns with the Red Wings five years ago. The Capitals can reduce his cap hit as low as $2.85MM without involving a third party.

Nashville’s pending UFAs carry a little less prestige and trade value – even once-renowned power-play quarterback Tyson Barrie has been a healthy scratch at times this season and is having his worst offensive campaign in over a decade. 26-year-old center Thomas Novak is an interesting proposition for contenders if he becomes available, especially in a thin market at just $800K against the cap. He has 29 points in 46 games this season, tied for fifth on the team while averaging 14:19 per game.

The shiny object in Trotz’s arsenal is starting netminder Juuse Saros. While he carries term on his deal, his name has been popping up in trade talks more frequently, and it’ll only appear more if Nashville falters and enters sell mode.

Unlike Washington, the Predators don’t have the ability to retain the salary of multiple players. Two of their three slots are taken up by Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Johansen, each through at least 2025. They’re also carrying significant dead cap in the form of the buyouts of Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris through 2028.

Nic Dowd Day-To-Day, Martin Fehervary Moved To Injured Reserve

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  • Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary has been moved to injured reserve with a lower-body injury sustained in the team’s February 17th game. He was previously announced as week-to-week with the injury and will now be required to miss at least one week of action. Fehervary has appeared in 47 games this season, scoring two goals and 12 points while averaging roughly 19 minutes of action a night.

Capitals Recall Pierrick Dubé

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The Capitals recalled forward Pierrick Dubé from the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Wednesday, per a team announcement.

Dubé, 23, could make his NHL debut against the Lightning on Thursday after Nic Dowd sustained an upper-body injury in last night’s 6-2 win over the Devils. Born in Lyon, France, Dubé signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Washington when free agency opened last July. He went undrafted throughout his junior career with the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts, Chicoutimi Saguenéens and Shawinigan Cataractes.

The 5-foot-9 winger was a surprise breakout star with the AHL’s Laval Rocket last year, earning an early-season call-up from the ECHL and posting 32 points in 44 games in his first pro season. He’s carried that momentum into a strong campaign with Hershey, leading the AHL’s best team (39-9-2) and defending Calder Cup champions with 24 goals in 50 games.

Dubé becomes the third active French national on an NHL roster, joining Blue Jackets winger Alexandre Texier and Kraken center Pierre-Édouard Bellemare. He carries Canadian citizenship, having played in their junior circuit since 2014, but played for the local youth team in Lyon. He has represented France internationally at different levels of the U18 and U20 World Juniors.

However, there’s no guarantee that Dubé will draw into the lineup to replace Dowd. The Capitals were already carrying veteran Nicolas Aubé-Kubel as a 13th forward, and he remains an option to play Thursday. Neither player is a natural center, so Beck Malenstyn will likely shift to fill Dowd’s spot as the third-line pivot while head coach Spencer Carbery shuffles his bottom-six wingers.

Dubé’s ELC carries an $870K cap hit, which is of no concern to Washington with Nicklas Bäckström and his $9.2MM cap hit on LTIR for the rest of the season. He will be an RFA upon expiry in 2025.

Nic Dowd Leaves Game With Upper-Body Injury

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  • The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that center Nic Dowd suffered an upper-body injury in tonight’s game against New Jersey. The 33-year-old has become a reliable bottom-six middleman in recent years and has 16 points through 45 games while taking the second-most faceoffs on the team.  Signed for another year at a $1.3MM price tag, Dowd has been a speculative trade candidate in a center market that is quite thin now.

Martin Fehervary Out Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury

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In a report coming from Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury. The injury took place during the Capitals’ most recent game against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.

In the opening minutes of Saturday night’s contest between the two teams, Fehervary appeared to lose an edge as he was skating behind the Capitals’ net. After falling to the ice, Fehervary was unable to put much weight on his left leg and did not return to the game.

Spending much of the year next to John Carlson, the two have been one of the bright spots on Washington’s blue line this season. Seeing the most ice time of any defensive unit on the roster, the two have combined for a solid 2.39 Expected Goals per 60 minutes, and 2.31 Goals Against per 60 minutes, according to MoneyPuck.

For Fehervary specifically, he has continued to be a physical defenseman for Washington, leading all defensemen on the roster with 114 hits, which is 60 more than the next closest defenseman. Aside from the topical statistics, Fehervary has seen a slight dip in his On-Ice Save Percentage compared to career averages, but has carried a slight uptick in his CorsiFor%.

In the meantime, the team will more than likely opt to place Rasmus Sandin next to Carlson over the next couple of weeks. The two have played a number of minutes together already this season, but have not played as defensively sound as the combination of Fehervary and Carlson.

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