The Washington Capitals received some good news on the injury front on Tuesday after a rash of bad luck.
The Capitals appeared set to begin the 2025-26 season with just six healthy defensemen after Matt Roy (upper-body) and Dylan McIlrath (lower-body) were forced out of the club’s preseason finale against the Columbus Blue Jackets — they did not practice on Monday — while Declan Chisholm suffered a scary skate cut to his leg at that very same practice.
Surprisingly, all three defenders took to the ice for the Capitals’ final full practice before opening their regular season against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night. Roy and Chisholm were full participants at the skate, while McIlrath, now on injured reserve, donned a light blue no-contact jersey for the skills session before practice.
Head coach Spencer Carbery initially speculated that both Roy and McIlrath could miss “a week, maybe two weeks” with their ailments, but also added Monday that the two veteran rearguards were still early in the team’s injury evaluation process.
“Both [Roy and Chisholm] are good to go,” he said Tuesday. “They are [available for tomorrow].”
Roy’s inclusion in Tuesday’s skate means the team will line up against the Bruins with all three of their regular defense pairings. Rasmus Sandin skated on the left of the second pair with Roy, a combination that saw the ice at five-on-five together for just over 392 minutes last season. In those minutes, the Capitals garnered 55.1 percent of the expected goals, 55.4 percent of the scoring chances, and 56.1 percent of the high-danger chances.
Chisholm’s return to the ice came on the extra defense pairing with Vincent Iorio, indicating that both will be healthy scratched to begin the year.
The Capitals submitted their Opening Night roster on Monday ahead of the NHL’s 5 pm deadline. Wednesday’s puck drop against the Bruins at Capital One Arena is set for 7 pm.
