The Washington Capitals are in St. Louis to take on the Blues tonight. Before puck drop, they made a few notable roster moves.

Nicklas Backstrom and TJ Oshie, who were both recently sidelined with non-COVID illnesses, have been placed on injured reserve. According to The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell, neither forward traveled with the team for this two-game road trip which features back-to-back games Friday and Saturday.

Michal Kempny‘s full-time return to DC appears to be over for now as he has been removed from the active roster and is now a member of the taxi squad.

The team also activated defensemen Martin Fehervary and Dennis Cholowski as both were out due to COVID protocol.

#Caps re-assign Michal Kempny to the taxi squad, place TJ Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom on Injured Reserve and Dennis Cholowski and Martin Fehervary on the active roster.

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) January 7, 2022

Backstrom and Oshie both practiced with the team Thursday but it was their first practice back since getting sick. Backstrom revealed that his illness was the flu and was unsure at the time if he would be able to make the trip. Both forwards have not played since December 31 against the Detroit Red Wings.

Kempny was recalled by the Caps on December 27 as the team saw four of its regular defensemen out due to COVID protocol. He played in three games, recording one assist and averaging 19:44 of ice time. As his contract expires after this season, those three games could potentially be the last he plays in a Capitals uniform.

Fehervary and Cholowski were both placed in protocol on the same day, December 24. Fehervary’s last game came against the Los Angeles Kings on December 19. He has been back skating on the Caps top pair with his regular partner John Carlson at practice.

The Capitals also re-assigned goaltender Zach Fucale to their taxi squad on Thursday. He is the third goaltender on the trip.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB