With Capitals’ Training Camp set to open next month, players are trickling back to the area and are beginning to ramp up their on-ice workouts.

Friday, a large group of Capitals and a former member of the 2018 Stanley Cup team held an informal skate at Capitals MedStar Iceplex according to The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir. The group spent their time doing some “intense” drill work.

El-Bashir reported that John Carlson, Lars Eller, Carl Hagelin, Garnet Hathaway, Hendrix Lapierre, Joe Snively, Sam Anas, Alex Alexeyev, and unrestricted free agent Brett Connolly took the ice.

Connolly told Tarik that he’s just in town for family-related reasons and needed a place to skate.

The Chicago Blackhawks bought out the remaining year of Connolly’s contract earlier this summer and the 30-year-old has yet to find a new team.

The other notable participants include two players who have had massive injury concerns this offseason. Alex Alexeyev left the ice surface before the more vigorous drills got underway, per El-Bashir, as he continues to work his way back from shoulder surgery.

Carl Hagelin is still recovering from his terrifying eye injury as he tries to work his way back into the team’s plans this season. Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said in early July that a decision on the Swedish winger’s future would have to wait until August.

“He has more of a later checkup in August for a final determination to see how the surgery has completely healed and how much the surgery has done for his eyesight,” MacLellan said then. “So we’ll have to wait until that appointment to get a better indication of where he’s at.”

Heading into the 2022-23 season, the Capitals are looking to rebound from four consecutive first-round exits in the playoffs after winning the Stanley Cup in 2018. Peter Laviolette will be entering his third season as Capitals head coach, the last on his contract.

Headline photo: Cara Bahniuk/RMNB