The Washington Capitals returned to the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Monday morning. After a long Californian road trip, the Caps are due for their first home game in over a week against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.
Two players, Dylan Strome and Ethen Frank, missed the first skate back home due to an illness.
Capitals practicing at home for the first time back from their California road trip. Dylan Strome and Ethen Frank are both sick, per the team, and aren’t skating today.
— Katie Adler (@katieEadler) March 17, 2025
“Hopefully, [they’ll be good to go against Detroit],” Carbery said. “Hopefully, it’s just a 24-48 hour thing, but both were absent today, so we’ll have to see how they progress.”
Strome has played in all 67 games for the Caps this season and is the team’s leading scorer with 65 points (21g, 44a). He has three goals in his last four games after notching the first goal of the game against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.
The 28-year-old centerman is just two points shy of tying his previous single-season career high of 67 points (27g, 40a) set last season in 82 games. He is on pace to record the first 80-point season by a Caps player outside of Alex Ovechkin since Evgeny Kuznetsov posted 83 points (27g, 56a) in 79 games during the 2017-18 campaign.
Frank has not featured for the Capitals since trade deadline acquisition Anthony Beauvillier was inserted into the team’s lineup against the Seattle Kraken on March 9. The 27-year-old winger has recorded seven points (4g, 3a) in his first 22 NHL games this season.
The Capitals can make a recall from the AHL’s Hershey Bears if needed, as roster limits are no longer in effect after the deadline. However, NHL teams are limited to four non-emergency recalls between now and the end of the season.
The Red Wings will be desperate for a win on Tuesday, as they sit just two points behind the New York Rangers for the final wild card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They hold one game in hand on the Rangers but have lost seven of their last 10 games.
