The Washington Capitals got some positive news on the injury front on Wednesday morning. Both Nic Dowd and Joel Edmundson took the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex before the team’s optional morning skate on Wednesday.
The two veterans donned non-contact jerseys which indicates that they are ramping up their return progression but won’t be available for the Capitals’ game against the Florida Panthers.
After playing in the first two games of the season, Dowd has missed the last two weeks with an upper-body injury. Edmundson fractured his hand just days into Training Camp and has yet to make his debut with the Capitals.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery declined to give a firm schedule for the pair’s return after a practice last week but seemed pleased with their overall progress, suggesting that both could play as early as this coming weekend if things went well.
“I don’t think I have a real accurate timeline,” Carbery said. “On next week, Florida, we have a few days off here once again with not playing for three days. I wouldn’t expect at this point to expect them in midweek, but then we go to that back-to-back. Might be wishful thinking, but potential. But they’ve got to get back into practice first and then I can give you more of an accurate plan.”
The Capitals will conclude a five-game homestand Wednesday against the Panthers before facing the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders on November 10 and 11.
Dowd previously missed 17 games during the 2022-23 season with an upper-body injury before undergoing core surgery over the summer. In his first media availability of Training Camp, Dowd admitted that the injury had not been fully resolved and would need regular upkeep.
“Looking every day to build on the last one and not have any setbacks,” he said. “I think a lot of maintenance, a lot of rehab, a lot of warming up skating getting ready before practice. Stuff like that is probably going to follow me now for the rest of my career. Just how it works as you get a little older. It’s a tough game, so it’s kind of to be expected. I’ve been fortunate so far.”
Edmundson was acquired by the Capitals from the Montreal Canadiens this past summer. The rugged blueliner is no stranger to injury after spending the previous few years dealing with an unrelated back injury. Over the past two seasons, he has played in only 85 games.
Hendrix Lapierre has been filling in on the team’s fourth line for Dowd while Alex Alexeyev, Hardy Häman Aktell, and Lucas Johansen have all spent time on the third defense pairing in Edmundson’s absence.
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
