- Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov left last night’s contest against the Arizona Coyotes with a lower-body injury. While the full extent of that injury is not yet known, we do have some more information on Orlov’s status. NBC Sports Washington’s Matt Weyrich reports that Orlov wasn’t on the ice for the start of Capitals practice this morning. Per coach Peter Laviolette, Orlov’s status is considered day-to-day.
Capitals Rumors
Dmitry Orlov Injured Against Coyotes
- Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov left tonight’s game with a lower-body injury and is questionable to return, the team announced. It’s unclear what exactly caused the injury to Orlov, however he has played just 7:02 thus far as the Capitals lead the Arizona Coyotes 1-0 late in the second period.
Carlson Participates In Game Day Skate, Should Be Ready To Return Monday
- Capitals blueliner John Carlson has returned to practice, notes Samantha Pell of the Washington Post (Twitter link). However, while he took part in the full game day skate, he’s not eligible to be activated off injured reserve until Monday but it appears he won’t be out much longer than the minimum time required.
Capitals Claim Nicolas Aube-Kubel Off Waivers From Maple Leafs
With Connor Brown done for the season due to ACL surgery, the Capitals have his $3.6MM cap hit to work with for LTIR space. They used a chunk of that today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Washington has claimed winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel off waivers from Toronto.
It’s the second straight season that the 26-year-old has been plucked off the waiver wire in November as a year ago, Colorado scooped him up from Philadelphia. He went on to have a strong finish to his season with 11 goals and 11 assists in 67 games with the Avs while suiting up 14 times in their Stanley Cup run, leading to him signing a one-year, $1MM contract with the Maple Leafs on the opening day of free agency last summer.
However, things didn’t go particularly well for Aube-Kubel with Toronto as he was a healthy scratch in five of their first 11 games this season while he was held off the scoresheet in six games while logging just over nine minutes per game and with a need for some roster flexibility, they decided that Aube-Kubel was the one to part with. Notably, on top of the cap savings and roster spot being opened, this also frees up a contract slot for Toronto who was at the maximum of 50 prior to this claim.
Meanwhile, for Washington, it’s a low-risk move to bring in a bottom-six forward with some NHL experience as Aube-Kubel has 175 career NHL appearances under his belt which will give Peter Laviolette another option as he looks to find the right combination on the fourth line. With the Caps having a full roster, they’ve assigned Garrett Pilon to AHL Hershey to open up a spot on their 23-man roster. Pilon has five points in seven games with the Bears so far this season.
Beck Malenstyn Undergoes Hand Surgery
Washington Capitals forward Beck Malenstyn underwent surgery to stabilize a left-hand finger fracture, the team announced Friday afternoon. Malenstyn will be out of the lineup for six to eight weeks
Malenstyn sustained the injury three days ago in a game against the Vegas Golden Knights. The team placed him on injured reserve the following day, clearing some room for a group of AHL recalls. At this juncture, Malenstyn is eligible to be placed on long-term injured reserve if the team needs some additional salary cap wiggle room.
Projected to be a regular in AHL Hershey this season, Malenstyn got the call-up to the NHL in mid-October when forward Connor Brown suffered a potential season-ending ACL injury. A Capitals fifth-round draft selection in 2016, Malenstyn signed a two-year extension with the team this past offseason.
In five games up with Washington his season, Malenstyn registered a goal (his second in the NHL) and an assist. The 24-year-old has defied a good amount of adversity to even make it to the NHL as a semi-regular after missing the entire 2020-21 campaign due to injury.
Malenstyn is one of six Capitals forwards currently on IR or LTIR.
Washington Capitals Recall Sonny Milano, Place Three On Injured Reserve
As announced in a team release today, the Washington Capitals have recalled forward Sonny Milano, forward Garrett Pilon, and defenseman Lucas Johansen from the Hershey Bears of the AHL. All three players will travel with the team to Detroit for the team’s game tomorrow against the Red Wings.
In a corresponding move, the team has also placed forward T.J. Oshie, defenseman John Carlson, and forward Beck Malenstyn on injured reserve. Forward Connor Brown was also moved to long-term injured reserve (LTIR) after undergoing potentially season-ending ACL surgery earlier this week.
Oshie is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury suffered last Saturday. He is technically eligible to return for Saturday’s home game against Arizona, but without a timeline, there’s no telling when he’ll be back. The fact that he was not moved to LTIR along with Brown is somewhat promising, suggesting that he may not be out for more than a few weeks.
Carlson also left the same game Saturday with a lower-body injury, although his status remains day-to-day. Assuming his injured reserve placement is retroactive, he could return Saturday against Arizona, but the IR placement is confirmation that he’ll miss his third straight game tomorrow against Detroit.
Malenstyn left last night’s overtime loss against Vegas with an upper-body injury. He was recalled to the team in mid-October in the absence of Brown.
After notching 34 points in 66 games last year as a member of the Anaheim Ducks, it was rather shocking that no team signed Milano before training camps started, and it was nearly as surprising when he cleared waivers when Washington signed him. In five games in the AHL, Milano’s notched two goals, an assist, and three points. He could potentially draw into the lineup in Malenstyn’s absence, although the team also had Connor McMichael as a healthy extra.
Pilon, 24, has five points in seven games to start the AHL season, his fifth with Hershey. Johansen, the 28th overall selection in 2016, missed the majority of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons due to injury and has a goal in six games with Hershey in 2022-23. The team had no extra healthy defensemen with Carlson out.
John Carlson To Miss Second Straight Game; Remains Day-To-Day
- Washington Capitals All-Star defenseman John Carlson remains out of the lineup for a second straight game with a lower-body injury and is still day-to-day, according to head coach Peter Laviolette. The 32-year-old defender had six points through his first nine games, and Trevor van Riemsdyk will remain in a top-four role in Carlson’s absence. Carlson finished 10th in Norris Trophy voting last season after a 71-point campaign.
Connor Brown Undergoes Surgery
The Washington Capitals thought they were adding a versatile middle-six forward that could contribute in all situations this summer when they traded for Connor Brown. That contribution could last less than four games, as Brown has undergone surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee. The recovery timeline, based on the nature of the procedure, is six to eight months.
While he hasn’t been ruled out for the full season, Brown’s return in 2022-23 is “highly unlikely” according to Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet.
Given that he is on an expiring contract, this is worst-case news for the 28-year-old forward, who got an early chance to play alongside Alex Ovechkin to start the year.
After spending the last three seasons playing huge minutes for the rebuilding Ottawa Senators, Brown was an attractive piece for a team like the Capitals looking to add veteran depth to their forward group.
Instead, it looks like he’ll enter contract negotiations with a zero-point season unless he can find a way to make a return before the end of the year. Brown was scoreless through the three-and-a-half games he managed in a Washington uniform.
If needed, Brown’s $3.6MM cap hit can be moved to long-term injured reserve, opening up a little bit of flexibility for the Capitals. Unfortunately, the team’s forward group keeps losing talent, with T.J. Oshie going down recently. While Tom Wilson and Nicklas Backstrom are getting closer to a return, the veteran group in Washington will be tested this season – potentially opening up time for some younger players to make their mark.
Clay Stevenson Assigned To ECHL
- The Washington Capitals have assigned Clay Stevenson to the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays, suggesting he has recovered enough to start getting back into game action. The 23-year-old was a free agent signing out of Dartmouth and underwent hand surgery at the beginning of October. Given a timeline of four to six weeks from then, his recovery seems to be right on track.
T.J. Oshie Out Indefinitely With Lower-Body Injury
The Washington Capitals haven’t updated T.J. Oshie’s status after exiting Saturday’s game early other than to tell reporters including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post that he is out indefinitely. Oshie did not travel with the team to Carolina and will not play in tonight’s game.
John Carlson is also out with a lower-body injury and will not play tonight, but the team designated him as day-to-day. That suggests Oshie’s indefinite timeline is longer than that, a substantial blow for a team that is already without Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson, Connor Brown, and Carl Hagelin due to various injuries. With Oshie exiting early, Conor Sheary played a season-high 18:55 in the win over Nashville.
The 35-year-old Oshie had scored five points in his first six games of the season but was held off the scoresheet in the two games previous to Saturday’s tilt. The veteran winger still plays a ton for the Capitals, including as a key part of their first powerplay unit. Hopefully, this new injury isn’t one that keeps him out too long, especially given his experience last season.
Oshie played just 44 games and had the worst statistical season of his career, scoring just 11 goals and 25 points. Signed through 2024-25, getting him back to full strength will be important for the Capitals’ contention in the Metropolitan Division.