The Washington Capitals appear as if they’ll be missing veteran winger Tom Wilson for a seventh straight game on Saturday night. The 31-year-old forward was a full participant in the team’s morning skate before they host the Florida Panthers, but stuck around for extra work in the typical scratches skate.
With Wilson probably sitting out again, Sonny Milano joining him, and Justin Sourdif still on injured reserve, the Caps will likely see both Ivan Miroshnichenko and Brett Leason get a sweater against Florida. The game will be Leason’s sixth this season after his recent recall and Miroshnichenko’s third, split between two NHL stints.
While the on-ice evidence says otherwise, head coach Spencer Carbery didn’t completely rule Wilson out of getting a sweater.
“We’ll see on Willy,” he said.
Leason has yet to record a point with the Capitals this season, skating an average of 9:08 of ice time per game. Miroshnichenko also didn’t get on the scoresheet during his prior recall, averaging 9:38 of ice time in two games against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Capitals are expected to have line changes from their loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, but have not shown their hand ahead of puck drop on Saturday. The only other pertinent lineup news was that Carbery announced Jakob Chychrun would be good to go after missing Friday’s practice for personal reasons.
Dylan McIlrath and Declan Chisholm joined Wilson and Milano for extra work after the skate, suggesting that Trevor van Riemsdyk will be back for his 36th game of the year.
Logan Thompson will start in net for the Capitals and has already played the Panthers twice this season, losing 6-3 on November 13 and losing 5-3 on December 29. He is 2-3-1 in six January starts with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
The Panthers arrive in DC on the back of a blowout 9-1 loss at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. The embarrassment came the night after they visited the White House and met with President Donald Trump.
