The Washington Capitals were back on the ice for practice Monday morning after their Game One loss to the New York Rangers. The team held an optional skate at the nearby RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House, the New Jersey Devils’ practice facility.
Vincent Iorio was absent after he suffered an upper-body injury in Sunday’s game. Iorio slammed hard into the side boards after a hit from Alexis Lafrenière and immediately went to the visiting locker room holding his right shoulder.
“Didn’t skate today,” head coach Spencer Carbery said post-practice. “I would call him day-to-day.”
The Capitals were already playing down three defenders before Iorio got taken out of action. Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen have been skating but did not warm up before Game One and have yet to shed their light blue, non-contact sweaters. Ethan Bear also remains in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program.
Sandin and Jensen skated again on Monday and Carbery called them both possibilities for Game Two as he did for Game One.
“Yeah, just depending on how it looks tomorrow,” he said. “We’ll evaluate them after morning skate tomorrow and then see where it is tomorrow afternoon.”
If the Capitals need to sink further into their depth, Lucas Johansen is the only healthy extra defender left on the roster. However, Carbery hinted that Johansen may not be the only option moving forward.
“He’s the next man up that’s currently in the facility,” he said. “We’ll see where it goes.”
Hardy Häman Aktell, who made his NHL debut earlier this season, and Chase Priskie are the two defenders left in the AHL with the Hershey Bears who have NHL contracts. Hershey wrapped up their regular season on Saturday and have a first-round playoff bye.
The Capitals currently have three of Hershey’s top blueliners up on their roster. Iorio, Johansen, and Dylan McIlrath are all mainstays on the Bears’ backend, who played large roles in Hershey’s 2023 Calder Cup championship run.
Despite how much of the organization’s depth has been tested, the Capitals still managed to sneak into the NHL’s first playoff round and the Bears finished just one point away from the highest point percentage in AHL history. Hershey finished with a 53-14-5 record atop the Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference, and the AHL overall.
