Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Capitals Rumors

Max Pacioretty Hopeful To Return This Season

at CDT | by 7 Comments

Max Pacioretty rejoined the Washington Capitals team skates this week, providing the first big step in his return from his second torn Achilles’ tendon. And now, per NHL.com’s Mike Vogel, both the team and the player are hopeful that a return could come soon. Pacioretty told Vogel, “I feel like I’m getting my life back… I’m having fun. I’ve only skated three times, but this is what I was born to do, so it feels like there’s some normalcy in my life, and I definitely have much more of a smile on my face now that I’m skating.” Pacioretty went on to mention that there was a point where he considered whether this injury would bring an end to his career or not, but that he ultimately felt he had more hockey in the tank.

That’s incredibly exciting news for the Capitals. The club took a flyer on the 34-year-old winger this summer, signing him to a one-year, $2MM contract, despite the second Achilles injury, hoping they could bring Pacioretty back to the goal-scoring prowess that he had earlier in his career. Pacioretty has scored 30 or more goals in six different seasons, including a career-high 39 goals in the 2013-14 season. And despite missing pieces of the last three seasons with injury, he’s maintained his production into his veteran years. The winger scored three goals in five games with Carolina last season, and had 19 goals and 37 points in 39 games with Vegas in 2021-22: his last taste of substantial ice time. In fact, Pacioretty hasn’t scored below 35 points since the 2010-11 season, excluding last year.

That’s encouraging consistency that could be nicely timed for a Washington team faced with the absence of star centerman Nicklas Backstrom. The team hasn’t released an official timeline for when Pacioretty may be able to return but the optimism from both parties hints that it may not be a terribly long wait. Regardless of when he’s able to return, Pacioretty’s eagerness to get back to where he was is exciting to see.

Capitals Loan Alexander Suzdalev To Sweden

at CDT | by 1 Comment

  • Receiving the most time of any forward in the team’s recent win against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals forward, Evgeny Kuznetsov was notably missing at the team’s practice this morning, according to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. Apparently, Kuznetsov is dealing with a minor illness and will remain questionable for the team’s game tomorrow night against the Florida Panthers. In 10 games played so far this year, Kuznetsov has one goal and four assists, all while averaging nearly 22 minutes of ice time per game.
  • Sticking with the Capitals, the team has announced it has loaned prospect, Alexander Suzdalev from the Hershey Bears to Mono IK of the HockeyAllsvenskan. Suzdalev was a third-round selection of Washington in the 2022 NHL Draft and has not suited up for the Bears in any games this season. Last year, playing for the Regina Pats of the WHL, Suzdalev scored 38 goals and 48 assists, benefitting tremendously from being on the same line as Connor Bedard.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Latest On Joel Edmundson, Nick Dowd

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Washington Capitals got off to a slow start under rookie head coach Spencer Carbery, but more recently they have begun to turn things around. They are currently right in the thick of a hotly contested Metropolitan Division, and they have as much of a chance to return to the playoffs after last year’s miss as any team. One of the major things that has hurt the Capitals this season has been injuries, although the team could be getting good news on that front soon.

GM Brian MacLellan told team reporter Tarik El-Bashir that defenseman Joel Edmundson and forward Nic Dowd are nearing a return from injury, and the hope is that both can return to team practice later this week. Edmundson has yet to make his debut for the Capitals, who acquired him for third and seventh-round picks this summer, but he would likely take Alexander Alexeyev’s spot on the left side of the Washington defense. Dowd, 33, is a veteran fourth-liner who has played for the Capitals since 2018-19. His return would likely allow the team to return its current fourth-line center, Hendrix Lapierre, back to the AHL, a move that might better suit his development.

Backstrom Not Expected Back This Season

at CDT | by 2 Comments

  • Nearly a week ago, it was reported that Washington Capitals forward, Nicklas Backstrom, would be stepping away from the team due to a lingering injury that does not appear to be going away. In an earlier report from today, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network relayed a message from the General Manager of the team, Brian MacLellan, who says that is ’unlikely’ that Backstrom will return to the team this year. After missing much of the season last year, it appears that Backstrom will miss nearly two full seasons of hockey due to his ongoing hip injury.
  • Sticking with the Capitals, it was apparent during their game on Saturday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, that defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk had sustained some sort of injury. The team was hoping that it would not be a long-term injury, and after proper evaluations, Tom Gulitti of the NHL reports that van Riemsdyk is only considered day-to-day, but will not practice with the team today.
  • Only a few weeks ago, multiple reports indicated that the Capitals were very interested in the idea of acquiring forward Conor Garland from the Vancouver Canucks. Although not mentioning Garland specifically, and now factoring in the absence of Backstrom in the lineup, Ethan Cadeaux of Monumental Sports Network confirms that Washington is indeed still looking for an addition to the team’s top six forward unit, and their motivation has increased since the news from Backstrom.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Max Pacioretty Has Resumed Skating

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • Capitals winger Max Pacioretty skated for the second time today as he continues to work his way back from a torn Achilles, relays Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter link). The veteran suffered the injury in just his fifth game last season after working his way back from a torn Achilles.  Pacioretty inked a one-year deal with Washington this summer, one that carries a $2MM base salary and $2MM in games played bonuses that will be fully payable at the 20-game mark.

Nicklas Bäckström To Take Leave Of Absence

at CDT | by 17 Comments

Washington Capitals center Nicklas Bäckström has decided to step away from the team as he deals with a lingering injury situation, the Capitals announced today.

Bäckström issued a statement on his decision, which reads as follows:

Given my ongoing injury situation, I decided to take some time and step away from the game. This is a difficult decision, but one that I feel is right for my health at this time. I want to thank my teammates, the organization, and fans for their unwavering support throughout this process. I ask for privacy at this time as I determine my next steps and viable options moving forward.

Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan issued a statement of his own, which reads:

We stand behind Nicklas and will support him throughout this process. We know firsthand how hard he has worked and how determined he is to get back to full health. Our organization stands fully behind him while he takes his leave of absence from the team and takes time to evaluate his current health situation.

Bäckström, 35, had hip resurfacing surgery in June 2022, and it was initially believed that the process could cost him the entirety of the 2022-23 season. That didn’t end up happening, though, as Bäckström managed to return to the Capitals’ lineup and skate in 39 games.

To start this season, there was some belief that the hardest phase of Bäckström’s injury-related troubles was behind him, at least based on the fact that he played so many games in 2022-23. The hope was that he would be able to be a full contributor to the Capitals’ efforts to return to the postseason.

But after eight difficult games in which he managed one assist, Bäckström has made the decision to prioritize his long-term health. That’s a reasonable decision for any player dealing with considerable injury issues, let alone a player who has accomplished as much as Bäckström.

Bäckström has played over 1,100 games in the NHL, and is Washington’s all-time leader in assists.

For years the partner-in-crime to franchise face Alex Ovechkin, Bäckström is a former All-Star, Selke Trophy vote-getter, and a Stanley Cup champion.

As to where Bäckström’s decision leaves the Capitals, rookie head coach Spencer Carbery likely won’t be able to replace what Bäckström brings both on and off the ice.

That being said, he does have some options to help fill the void now created in their depth chart.

Rookie Hendrix Lapierre, the 22nd overall pick at the 2020 NHL draft, is still finding his footing in pro hockey but offers considerable offensive skill. Assuming Sonny Milano can return to the lineup, that return could shift Connor McMichael back to the center position and place him in Bäckström’s vacated third-line center role.

This unfortunate news does pose one minor silver lining for the Capitals, related to their salary-cap situation. CapFriendly writes that the Capitals are likely to place Bäckström on long-term injured reserve, adding the player’s $9.2MM cap hit to their LTIR salary pool. The result is an increased cap flexibility to not only add players from other teams via trade but also activate currently injured players such as Max Pacioretty or Joel Edmundson.

In any case, this is undoubtedly a difficult development for both the player and team side of the equation. For Bäckström, one cannot underestimate how hard it must be for the veteran pivot to step away from his teammates in order to prioritize his health. For the Capitals, despite the player’s struggles to start the season, Bäckström remains a crucial part of the franchise’s efforts to return to the playoffs.

This is an unfortunate situation for all involved, but regardless of the on-ice implications of this decision the hope has to be that, by stepping away from the game, Bäckström can achieve the improvements to his health that he both desires and deserves.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury Notes: Maple Leafs, Hischier, Lindgren, Flames

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing opposing injury news, with defender Timothy Liljegren returning to the team’s practice but Jake McCabe still sitting out. Liljegren took practice reps alongside Mark Giordano, although no update about his availability was provided. Liljegren was announced as “doubtful” for the team’s October 28th game before missing the match; a tag that may carry over to their Tuesday night game.

Liljegren is playing more than ever through eight games this season, averaging over 19 minutes of ice time a game – a step up from the 18 minutes he averaged last season. It’s a continuation of the gradual increase in ice time that Liljegren has seen in each of the last three seasons, speaking to his growing prowess. But despite the increased role, Liljegren has only managed one point through his eight games this year. Scoring has never been his forte, with Liljegren only netting 18 points through 67 games last year.

Liljegren will look to add to those scoring totals with an eventual return to action, while Toronto continues to wait for news of McCabe’s outlook.

Other injury news:

Washington Places Dowd On IR, Recall Lapierre

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Washington Capitals have placed forward Nic Dowd on injured reserved and recalled 2020 First Round pick Hendrix Lapierre from the Hershey Bears. Dowd has been out since the team’s October 18th game with an upper-body injury and will now miss an additional week of action, at least.

And while Washington was able to fill in for Dowd’s injury, they are also anticipating Sonny Milano to miss action with illness. This means the team will need to recall one more forward to ice a full lineup, as they’re not currently carrying any extra forwards. One possible option for this recall could be top prospect Ivan Miroshnichenko, who garnered a lot of attention during Washington’s training camp but narrowly missed the mark for the roster. He has five points through his first seven career AHL games.

Lapierre’s recall is an enticing one for Capitals fans anticipating what the former 22nd-overall selection could become. His only NHL action came in the 2021-22 season when Lapierre played six games and scored one goal. Last season was his first full year of professional hockey, with the winger netting 15 goals and 30 points in 60 regular season games and three goals and six points in 20 playoff games. Lapierre has three points in six AHL games this year, continuing his modest minor-league scoring.

Aliaksei Protas has slotted into the lineup in place of Dowd, recording one assist in six NHL games while averaging just shy of nine minutes of ice time. The 22-year-old forward was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft and has 97 career NHL Games under his belt, with 25 career points.

Capitals Activate Charlie Lindgren, Assign Hunter Shepard To AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Capitals will be welcoming back goalie Charlie Lindgren for their game tomorrow against San Jose as the team announced that they have activated him off injured reserve.  To make room on the roster, netminder Hunter Shepard was assigned back to AHL Hershey.

Lindgren is in his second season as the backup goaltender in Washington behind Darcy Kuemper.  The 29-year-old was a full-time NHL backup for the first time in 2022-23, playing in 31 games, more than the rest of his career combined.  Lindgren fared relatively well in that role, posting a 3.05 GAA with a .899 SV%.  This season, he has just one start under his belt where he allowed four goals on 35 shots.  He’s expected to serve as the backup against the Sharks on Sunday.

As for Shepard, he made his NHL debut earlier this week against New Jersey, stopping 18 of 22 shots for his first career victory at the top level.  The 27-year-old is in his fourth year in Washington’s system, spending the majority of that time at the AHL level.  Shepard had a strong showing last year, putting together a 2.18 GAA with a .916 SV% in 33 games before putting up similar numbers in 20 playoff contests (2.27 GAA, .914 SV%), earning himself playoff MVP honors along the way.

Capitals Recall Hunter Shepard, Loan Clay Stevenson To AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Capitals announced Tuesday that they’ve recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard from the AHL’s Hershey Bears and returned netminder Clay Stevenson to Hershey in a corresponding transaction.

This amounts to a backup swap behind starter Darcy Kuemper while normal backup Charlie Lindgren remains on IR. He is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and has not played since starting the team’s season opener while Kuemper was away on paternal leave.

Shepard, who guided Hershey to a Calder Cup championship last season, would have been Washington’s first recall choice knowing Lindgren would be out for a while. However, Shepard himself was sidelined with an illness – now that he’s healthy, he finds himself on Washington’s roster, likely until Lindgren can return. The 27-year-old was named MVP of the Calder Cup Playoffs last season after posting a .914 SV%, 2.27 GAA and three shutouts in 20 contests. All that came in his first season as a full-time AHL netminder, spending the majority of the two previous seasons with Washington’s ECHL affiliate in South Carolina. The two-time national champion with the University of Minnesota-Duluth is undefeated with Hershey this season, going 2-0-0 with a 2.88 GAA and.885 SV%. If he makes an appearance for the Caps on this recall, it will be his NHL debut.

Stevenson, 24, made back-to-back starts in Hershey’s first two contests of the season while Shepard was on the shelf. He, too, has yet to make an NHL appearance, with Kuemper starting all three games in Lindgren’s absence. He will serve as the Bears’ starter while Shepard is up on the NHL roster.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top