The Washington Capitals made a single cut to their training camp roster on Thursday.
Shortly before taking on the Boston Bruins in the preseason, the team loaned prospect defenseman David Gucciardi to the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Gucciardi was sent down with four players, including Bogdan Trineyev and Henrik Rybinski, who cleared waivers in the afternoon.
Gucciardi played in two preseason games for the Capitals this fall, last skating 16:42 of ice time in a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. He also played in the team’s 5-1 defeat of the Philadelphia Flyers at Hershey’s Giant Center last week.
Overall in the two contests, Gucciardi finished with a plus-two rating, two shots, two minor penalties, and the primary assist on a Connor McMichael goal in Columbus.
The Capitals selected the rearguard in the seventh round of the 2022 NHL Draft, signing him to his entry-level contract this past March. He played four seasons in the NCAA with Michigan State University before turning pro.
Gucciardi made his professional debut with the Bears last season under head coach Todd Nelson, playing in two games for Hershey at the end of their regular season. He scored his first career AHL goal against the Hartford Wolf Pack on April 5.
Although he wasn’t highly touted during his draft year, Gucciardi has sharply risen in prospect rankings after developing in college hockey with the Spartans. Many analysts believe he was one of the best defensemen in the NCAA during his senior season.
The Bears began their training camp under new head coach Derek King this past weekend and played their first preseason game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Wednesday night. Hershey’s regular season begins at home on October 11 against the Syracuse Crunch.
With Gucciardi’s demotion, the Capitals now have 33 players remaining in training camp: 19 forwards, 11 defensemen, and three goaltenders.
