Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny is not expected to play this season, but Friday his recovery from a torn Achilles took another positive turn.

Kempny took the ice before Capitals practice. The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir posted video of Kempny’s “cautious skate.”

Video

#Caps defenseman Michal Kempny, who suffered an Achilles injury in early October, is on the ice before practice getting in a cautious skate. pic.twitter.com/L3WnIhMlKR

— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) February 19, 2021

The 2018 Stanley Cup champion originally had surgery in October after injuring himself while training for the 2020-21 season.

Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny underwent a successful surgery to repair an Achilles tendon. Kempny sustained his injury while training in Czech Republic. Based on the nature of this injury, Kempny is expected to miss 6-8 months.

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 6, 2020

An eight-month recovery time would put Kempny on the road to returning in mid-June. Kempny also suffered a devastating lower-body injury in March 2019, tearing his hamstring during a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB