The Washington Capitals will get key defenseman Jakob Chychrun back against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.
Head coach Spencer Carbery announced Chychrun’s return during his pregame media availability. He also shared that the team will still be without forwards Tom Wilson and Justin Sourdif, despite Wilson fully participating at practice for a second straight day.
“Chychrun will play tonight,” Carbery said. “[Wilson] will not. [Sourdif] not skating, yeah.”
Chychrun has been out of action for the team’s last two games due to illness, last playing against the Chicago Blackhawks six days ago. The 27-year-old rearguard has 32 points (15g, 17a) in 45 games this season, skating a team high 23:15 of ice time per game. He ranks second on the team in scoring from the backend, three points behind John Carlson.
With Chychrun on the shelf, the Capitals split the two games between Declan Chisholm and Dylan McIlrath. McIlrath appears set to stay in the lineup despite Chychrun’s return, as Chisholm and Trevor van Riemsdyk took Thursday’s scratches skate.
Wilson will miss his sixth straight game due to the lower-body injury he suffered against the Blackhawks on January 3. The 31-year-old winger was first cleared for contact at Wednesday’s practice, and Carbery confirmed he has not suffered a setback of any sort.
Without Wilson in their lineup, the Capitals have won three of their last five games. Wilson is still the team’s leading scorer with 42 points (22g, 20a) in 41 games this season, two more than captain Alex Ovechkin, who sits second.
Sourdif’s absence will be his second since taking a puck to the face against the Nashville Predators last weekend. He has yet to return to practice since suffering the upper-body injury.
Projected Capitals lineup for 1/15 game against Sharks
Logan Thompson was the first goaltender off the ice for the Capitals, so he’ll make his sixth start in January. In his previous five appearances this month, Thompson is 2-2-1 with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.
The Sharks come into Thursday’s game clinging to the second wild card playoff spot in the Western Conference. They have won six of their last 10 games but dropped their most recent contest, a 7-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
