ARLINGTON, VA — The Washington Capitals announced 11 cuts to their Training Camp roster Friday as the deadline to set their Opening Night roster approaches. Five players were sent directly to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, while six must clear waivers, including 27-year-old forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel.
Aube-Kubel is now on the waiver wire for the third consecutive season. Washington previously claimed him from the Toronto Maple Leafs in November 2022, subsequently signing him to a one-year, $1.225 million extension in March.
Training Camp Roster Update: #Caps have reduced their training camp roster to 27 players. Washington’s updated training camp roster can be found here: https://t.co/YjEWiEQkAj pic.twitter.com/EukESG5ka1
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 6, 2023
Players assigned to the Hershey Bears
- Ethen Frank, F
- Hendrix Lapierre, F
- Riley Sutter, F
- Vincent Iorio, D
- Chase Priskie, D
Players placed on waivers
- Nicolas Aube-Kubel, F
- Alex Limoges, F
- Michael Sgarbossa, F
- Joe Snively, F
- Dylan McIlrath, D
- Hunter Shepard, G
Aube-Kubel played 47 games for the Caps last season, tallying 12 points (4g, 8a) in that span. He suited up for all but one of the Capitals’ preseason games so far, last skating on a line with Beck Malenstyn and Riley Sutter against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Capitals can bury a maximum of $1.15 million of Aube-Kubel’s contract, meaning $75,000 will continue to count against the salary cap if he clears waivers and goes to the Bears.
Speaking to the media shortly before Friday’s announcement, Carbery remarked on the difficulty of making cuts.
“Telling people that they poured everything they have into something and it’s not going to work out sucks. The preparation that goes in, and not just back years, but the whole summer and all that, a lot of work goes into the last two weeks, a lot of commitment. It’s the worst part of the job.”
Carbery briefly coached Aube-Kubel in Toronto last season, where the forward struggled prior to his placement on waivers. He played just six games with the Leafs and failed to register a point. When asked Wednesday if he saw a new player in Aube-Kubel this year, Carbery gave a mixed opinion.
“I do a little bit, but then in other instances I see a lot of similarities,” he said after a pause. “And for me, [Aube-Kubel] can skate, physicality, strength on the puck, and he has a good skill set. He can make a play from time to time to get out of a tight situation where he just doesn’t have to advance the puck. He can make a play.
“And all it is for him…is just consistency. Consistency. Can you do it on a shift by shift basis for one game, two games, three games, four games, and then string that together and not have the dips, whether it’s a shift, whether it’s a penalty, whatever it is, being consistent?”
Notable names who remain on the roster include Ivan Miroshnichenko, Matthew Phillips, and Hardy Häman Aktell, who have all impressed with their performances in camp.
Excluding the injured Max Pacioretty and Joel Edmundson, 14 forwards, eight defensemen, and three goaltenders remain at Training Camp. The team has until Monday to trim their roster to a maximum of 23 players (not including those on LTIR) before Opening Night.
Carbery will get one final opportunity to test his lineup in their final preseason game against Columbus on Saturday before making his final decisions.
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
