While Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette was dodgy when asked about Nicklas Backstrom’s availability for next week’s Home Opener, he was a little more open about the progress of two other injured Caps players who are nursing injuries.
Starting goaltender Ilya Samsonov returned to the ice on Wednesday for the first time since playing in his first full the Capitals’ first full game of the preseason, a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, on October 2.
Samsonov (lower body) is warming up after missing a couple of days. #Caps pic.twitter.com/mEtwI3wBsa
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) October 6, 2021
Samsonov, who also had to endure a nine-round shootout after the game, suffered a lower-body injury.
“I feel a little bit injured in my lower body,” Samsonov said on Wednesday. “In second period, I feel a little bit bad. I had a couple extra days for recovery and I feel better day by day. I feel good right now.”
While Laviolette called Samsonov’s return to the ice “a good sign”, he will be held out of the Capitals’ game against the Boston Bruins later tonight.
Capitals trainers are taking a “cautious approach and if there’s anything at all wrong, he won’t play Friday,” Laviolette said. “I certainly would like him to play Friday but we’ll see how it goes.”
Samsonov added that he’s aiming to be “100 percent tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, defenseman Martin Fehervary who suffered an upper-body injury after getting hit by a shot during Monday’s preseason game against the Devils, is out day-to-day, appearing to avoid a more severe injury like a broken hand.
“I don’t think (it’s) too bad,” Laviolette said. “I’m hoping he’ll get an exhibition game. Not playing tonight but we’ll see as those days approach.”
Fehervary was expected to make the Capitals’ Opening Night roster and could be a full-time member of the team’s defense, depending on how well he plays.
