What I'm Seeing & Where Things Stand After Latest Round Of Capitals Cuts; Stevenson, Iorio & More Updates
Here's a look at the Washington Capitals roster competition after another round of cuts on Wednesday.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — With one week to go until the start of the regular season, coach Spencer Carbery and the Washington Capitals face some difficult decisions.
Washington made another round of cuts on Wednesday, waiving Louie Belpedio, Graeme Clarke, Henrik Rybinski and Bogdan Trineyev while also loaning Garin Bjorklund to Hershey. That leaves 33 players on the roster, and 10 more cuts to go to finalize the opening night roster by Monday at 5 p.m.
There are still several players left in the race, and the heaviest competition is up front, with Sonny Milano and Hendrix Lapierre leading the charge while Andrew Cristall, Ivan Miroshnichenko and Ethen Frank remain in the thick of the competition. Meanwhile, Sheldon Rempal, who shined in his preseason debut on Tuesday, along with Ilya Protas and Eriks Mateiko, remain up with the big club this late in camp.
On defense, it remains a difficult decision, with Vincent Iorio and David Gucciardi still sticking around, though the team was set on the blue line going into camp with extra defenders Declan Chisholm and Dylan McIlrath. Ryan Chesley and Leon Muggli are also still up in D.C.
Finally, between the pipes presents another interesting dilemma; though Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren are the set tandem, Washington risks losing budding goalie prospect Clay Stevenson on waivers.
“The fight to be on the opening day roster is as fierce as it’s been since I’ve been here,” Carbery pointed out. “There’s a lot of NHL-ready players on our roster.”
That said, here’s what I’m seeing with the Capitals returning to the ice on Thursday with two preseason games left to evaluate things.
Training Camp Takes
Alex Ovechkin and Martin Fehervary are expected to make their preseason debuts on Thursday at Capital One Arena. Ovechkin has been back in full contact the last few days and Fehervary has been ramping up but held out mainly as a precaution.
Sonny Milano’s upper-body injury that’s stopped him from skating with the group the last couple of days is nothing significant and he’s on the roster for Thursday. At this point, it seems like he’s a lock to make the roster. The injury was not related to last season’s ailment that held him out for all but three games, and was not head-related.
I’d also expect Hendrix Lapierre is a lock. Not only has he looked strong enough to make the NHL roster, but he’s shown that he can drive a line and thrive at center, which may give Spencer Carbery another option for 3C, though that spot is still Connor McMichael’s for now.
Andrew Cristall has again made it difficult on Carbery to send him back to Hershey, and perhaps a couple of games up with the big club wouldn’t hurt, but given the lack of vacancies and him not requiring waivers, I see him starting the year in Hershey and earning a call-up as things go along.
I also think Ivan Miroshnichenko, though he’s shown flashes of what he can bring at the highest level, gets more time in the AHL. He needs to continue to work on his play without the puck and his durability in 1-on-1 battles.
Carbery has really liked Rempal’s camp, as has the front office. He had a team-leading seven shots in Tuesday’s win over Boston and replaced Frank on the top line halfway through the game. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get a couple more games to show the coaching staff what he’s capable of, and at the least, he’ll certainly be one of the first call-up options if he clears waivers.
Speaking of waivers, though Frank earned a full-time NHL spot last season and showcased his speed and what he can do, I see him going on waivers just given how thick the competition is, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone picks him up.
On defense, I don’t see how Vincent Iorio doesn’t make the team. The 22-year-old has had a stellar camp, put on 17 pounds in the offseason and has good speed, physicality, puck-moving ability and awareness at both ends of the ice. Iorio’s upside is too good to lose on waivers, and he’s a capable, big-bodied right-hand shot that works hard and has certainly earned his spot and shown his versatility.
That’s also why I see Dylan McIlrath, though Carbery’s liked his camp and thinks he’s been solid, hitting waivers and being assigned to Hershey. The 33-year-old is a great locker room presence and another strong depth option who brings physicality and grit, but Iorio has played himself onto the roster this preseason.
Yes, Clay Stevenson is a strong possibility to be lost on waivers; he’s looked solid at camp and has a lot of promise. But I wonder if the Capitals try to see if there’s a trade option so they don’t lose him for nothing. It is also possible he could sneak through waivers, though as Carbery pointed out, there’s not really any way to “sneak” a player through the wire. Teams know a good name when they see one.
In these final two preseason games, Carbery is not committed to having a “dress rehearsal” full NHL lineup in. Alex Ovechkin is still recovering from injury but should be ready to go by the time the season starts and is on track to get preseason games in. Martin Fehervary is also expected to play Thursday, and didn’t travel in preseason as the team continues to help him ramp up and get back to full strength after recovery from meniscus surgery. Nic Dowd will also ease back into the lineup after being away from the team for some time due to personal/family reasons, but he is back in town and joined the group Tuesday.
Perfect update. Thanks Sammi.