The Washington Capitals practiced at Nationwide Arena on Wednesday after staying in Columbus for team bonding activities. The only active player still on the club’s preseason roster who did not take the ice was goaltender Hunter Shepard.
According to the Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson, Shepard is being evaluated for a lower-body injury. The 28-year-old backstop has played in two games this fall, allowing seven goals on 33 shots.
Shepard’s last game action was on September 24 against the Boston Bruins. He is expected to be the Capitals’ number three goalie once again this year, with Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson as the top tandem in the NHL.
The back-to-back Calder Cup champion has stayed with Washington thus far into the preseason despite the Hershey Bears kicking off their Training Camp on Monday. Hershey’s crease is currently crowded at camp, as Clay Stevenson, Mitchell Gibson, Garin Bjorklund, and Seth Eisele are all receiving practice reps.
Washington will inevitably try to return Shepard to the Bears but will need to place him on waivers first to do so. The 2023 AHL playoff MVP may be an attractive claim for a team willing to take a risk in net.
Shepard posted a 27-4-3 record with a 1.76 goals-against average, a .929 save percentage, and five shutouts in the AHL last year. He has four career NHL games under his belt and is 2-1-1 with a 3.18 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage.
