The Washington Capitals open their 2025-26 regular season against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.
Ahead of their Home Opener at Capital One Arena, the team took to the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex for their first true morning skate of the year. After the game group departed the ice, several players, namely Sonny Milano, Declan Chisholm, Vincent Iorio, and Dylan McIlrath, stayed on the ice for the scratches’ skate.
Milano will sit out as a healthy scratch to begin the year despite being red hot during the preseason, recording six points (4g, 2a) in just three games. The 29-year-old winger came into this fall’s training camp without being assured a spot on the club’s final roster, having played in just three games last year.
The veteran forward is an unrestricted free agent next summer, so he’ll be looking to force his way into more games and earn another NHL contract. Milano is the lone extra forward on the Capitals’ roster to begin the season, as the team will once again carry two extra defensemen.
One of those extra rearguards could be McIlrath once the 33-year-old rearguard is fully recovered from the lower-body injury he suffered in the team’s preseason finale against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Capitals placed McIlrath on injured reserve on Monday, meaning he will have to miss at least one week of action, which includes the Capitals’ first three games.
McIlrath did skate with the rest of his teammates on Wednesday morning, but remains in a light blue no-contact jersey.
Head coach Spencer Carbery named Logan Thompson the Capitals’ Opening Night starter in goal, ahead of a season where Carbery wants to give the 28-year-old backstop the majority of starts. Thompson played against the Bruins just once last year, stopping 26 of 27 shots he faced in a 3-1 Capitals victory.
The Bruins, whom the Capitals played twice during the preseason, come into the 2025-26 campaign under new head coach Marco Sturm. The former Capitals winger will be looking to lead Boston out of the basement of the Atlantic Division after they finished with a 33-39-10 record last year.
Puck drop for the matchup at Capital One Arena is set for 7:30 pm.
