The Capitals announced in a surprise roster move that it has recalled defenseman Dylan McIlrath from the Hershey Bears.

The news came a little after 5 pm.

NEWS | The Capitals have recalled defenseman Dylan McIlrath from the Hershey Bears.#ALLCAPS https://t.co/vRN1Q6LrOy

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 15, 2023

It is currently unclear why McIlrath has been recalled. The Capitals’ 23-man roster is currently full and there were no obvious injuries to any defensemen in their game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. That means an additional move of some sort must be coming for the Caps to be able to fit McIlrath’s recall.

Matt Irwin did only play 10:25 of ice time in that game which was more than six minutes fewer than any other defenseman.

This is McIlrath’s second recall to Washington of the season after he was brought up in early December. McIlrath was quickly returned to Hershey after not getting into a single game. He has not seen any NHL action since the 2019-20 campaign. McIlrath, Hershey’s captain, played 16 games for the Detroit Red Wings in 2019.

The last notable thing he did in a Capitals jersey was get suspended for two preseason games and two regular-season games for a preseason headshot on Steven Fogarty in 2021. The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir reported in December that the rugged defenseman served that suspension this past preseason due to an NHL and NHLPA settlement.

Update (6:20 pm): Alex Ovechkin appears to have been moved to the NHL non-roster list as he takes a leave from the team due to the death of his father. He does not appear on the Capitals roster on the NHL’s media site.

That would provide an open spot on the roster for McIlrath to fill.

Here’s the full press release from the team:

Capitals Recall Dylan McIlrath

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have recalled defenseman Dylan McIlrath from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today.

McIlrath, Hershey’s captain, has recorded 10 assists in 44 games with the Bears this season. The 6’5″, 232-pound defenseman leads Hershey with 83 penalty minutes and his 10 assists are the fourth most among Bears defensemen. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native has played 66 career NHL games with the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings, recording five points (3g, 2a) and 121 penalty minutes. In 544 career AHL games with Hershey, Grand Rapids, Hartford, Springfield and Connecticut, McIlrath has recorded 110 points (27g, 83a) and 1,085 penalty minutes. Additionally, McIlrath won the 2017 Calder Cup with the Grand Rapid Griffins. McIlrath was selected by the Rangers in the first round, 10th overall, in the 2010 NHL Draft.

Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB