The Washington Capitals have just one preseason game remaining on their schedule before the real action begins on October 13 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. One player that will likely sit out Opening Night lineup is defenseman Joel Edmundson.
Edmundson was announced to be out four to six weeks after undergoing a procedure to stabilize a fractured hand on September 26.
The rugged blueliner made the first steps toward a comeback on Saturday morning, taking the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in a light blue, non-contact jersey.
Joel Edmundson (hand) skating in non contact jersey before Capitals optional morning skate today pic.twitter.com/SiBNgnRjcF
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) October 7, 2023
Edmundson has been out since suffering the injury during an intrasquad scrimmage ahead of the Caps’ first preseason game. He missed a practice after that game and then had the procedure done after meeting with team doctors to determine the severity of the injury.
Edmundson, 30, is no stranger to missing time after spending the previous few years dealing with an unrelated back injury. Over the past two seasons, he has played in only 85 games.
The injury has provided opportunity for some of the younger defensemen on the team’s roster as Edmundson was expected to start the year on the third pairing come the start of the regular season.
Hardy Haman Aktell, Alex Alexeyev, and Lucas Johansen have all received extended looks this preseason and will get one more chance to stake their claim to a roster spot in the Caps’ preseason finale on Saturday night.
“It’s what these guys want, right?” Carbery said when Edmundson went down. “They want to prove that they’re an everyday NHL player on a good team. So it’s right there, I love that. I mean, not for Joel’s case — but for guys that are just waiting for that one break to be able to get into the lineup. And sometimes it comes in another person’s misfortune.”
Edmundson and fellow injured Caps offseason addition, Max Pacioretty were both present at yesterday’s Caps Canines Calendar photo shoot.
Hi, I’m at the Capitals dog calendar shoot 👋🏻 pic.twitter.com/6WoAvJn4um
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) October 6, 2023
Edmundson was acquired by the Caps this past summer from the Montreal Canadiens (50% salary retained) in exchange for a 2024 third round draft pick and a 2024 seventh round draft pick. The defender already being back on the ice brings questions about whether or not the Caps will want to place him on long-term injured reserve to start the year.
Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB
