The Washington Capitals got back on the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Monday after a weekend trip up north saw them take down two Metropolitan Division rivals in back-to-back nights. Several of the teams injured players took the opportunity to get some work in before practice officially began.
Forwards Anthony Mantha and Max Pacioretty both skated ahead of Monday’s practice, while defensemen Trevor van Riemsdyk and Joel Edmundson donned non-contact jerseys to participate with the rest of the team. All four players are still currently on injured reserve or long-term injured reserve.
The Capitals placed van Riemsdyk on IR last week after he did not play against the Florida Panthers due to a lower-body injury he suffered against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The veteran blueliner has been skating but did not travel with the team to New Jersey or Long Island.
Head coach Spencer Carbery indicated that TvR was close to returning before that trip. “Positive signs for him,” Carbery said. “Maybe the backend of the back-to-back but we’ll see.”
Both van Riemsdyk and Edmundson are eligible to return whenever the Capitals deem them fit to do so. Edmundson has yet to make his debut with the Capitals after he fractured his hand just days into his first Training Camp with the team after arriving in DC via offseason trade.
Edmundson, originally estimated to miss 4-6 weeks, has been eligible to come off LTIR since last week’s game against Florida, but Carbery has been a bit cagey about the rugged blueliner’s true status. “I don’t think I have a real accurate timeline,” Carbery said. “They’ve got to get back into practice first and then I can give you more of an accurate plan.”
In that game against the Panthers, Mantha was taken out of action by a deflected shot he took to the head. The big winger was placed on IR just a couple days later and has not skated until Monday.
Mantha will have to remain on IR for at least one week after the date of his injury. That means he will not dress for Tuesday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. At the earliest, he would be able to return on November 18 when the Columbus Blue Jackets travel come to town.
Pacioretty has now skated four-plus times as he ramps up his Achilles tendon surgery rehab process. Last week, the veteran free-agent acquisition revealed that he has a return date in mind planned but would not reveal any specifics about it.
“I do, personally,” Pacioretty said. “Internally, I haven’t shared that with anyone other than my family. I’ve been through this before. It’s circled in pencil around a couple days where I want to be. Ultimately, that’s out of my control. I haven’t talked to the team about that but it’s something that would be pretty special to me.”
Though neither Pacioretty nor Mantha stayed on the ice for the team’s full practice, TvR and Edmundson’s participation hints at their advanced return timeline. The Capitals also announced that veteran forward TJ Oshie took a maintenance day and would not be practicing.
The league-leading Golden Knights will be the Capitals’ next opponent as the two teams square off inside Capital One Arena on Tuesday. The defending Stanley Cup champions are 12-2-1 to start the 2023-24 season.
Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB
