Capitals GM Brian MacLellan made a roster move on Thursday that may signal where Darcy Kuemper is at in his recovery from an injury he suffered Wednesday at practice.

MacLellan re-assigned goaltender Mitch Gibson from the Hershey Bears to the South Carolina Stingrays. The Bears play both Friday (vs. Bridgeport) and Saturday night (at Bridgeport) while the Stingrays play Friday (at Savannah) and Sunday (vs. Orlando).

Goaltender Mitch Gibson has been re-assigned to the @SCStingrays.

rabbittransit | Roster Moves

— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) November 16, 2023

The move suggests whatever happened to Kuemper is likely minor as Gibson has served as Hershey’s backup when Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson have been recalled to the Capitals. Gibson remaining with the Bears could have meant that a Shepard recall was coming.

Wednesday morning Kuemper was helped from the ice and in major pain after taking a shot to the leg.

Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery was asked after the skate how concerned he was with the injury.

“I don’t know,” Carbery said. “I’ll have to get the report on that but not ideal. I think it was a shot potentially where it caught him in the back of the pad or somewhere lower leg in a spot without padding.”

Kuemper has been limited in recent days after getting “nicked up” against the Florida Panthers last week. The Capitals were forced to recall Shepard from the Bears and gave him a start over the weekend as Kuemper was scratched both games.

Kuemper was healthy enough to be Charlie Lindgren’s backup in the Capitals’ 3-0 win over the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights where Lindy earned his first shutout with the Capitals.

The Capitals take the ice again on Friday morning ahead of their next game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB