The Washington Capitals hit the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex for practice on Sunday, joined by new teammates Timothy Liljegren and David Kampf for the first time.
Liljegren and Kampf were both acquired at the trade deadline on Friday, coming from the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks, respectively. They did not meet the team in Boston for the Capitals’ game against the Bruins on Saturday, flying straight to DC instead.
The two additions are expected to try to fill the voids left by John Carlson and Nic Dowd‘s departures at the deadline. Liljegren, like Carlson, is a right-shot defender, and Kampf, like Dowd, is a fourth-line center who kills penalties and takes on heavy defensive-zone responsibilities.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery, who coached both players with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2021 to 2023, commented on them joining the club ahead of the Caps’ game in Boston. “Know them both really, really well,” Carbery said.
In 43 games for the Sharks this year, Liljegren has recorded 11 points (1g, 10a) and averaged 20:08 of ice time per game. After having his contract terminated by the Maple Leafs earlier this season, Kampf joined the Canucks and recorded six points (2g, 4a) in 38 games.
The two could make their joint debut for the Capitals on Monday when the Calgary Flames come to Capital One Arena.
While the Capitals got their first look at Liljegren and Kampf, two key members of the roster, captain Alex Ovechkin and number-one goaltender Logan Thompson, sat out of the skate for maintenance. Ovechkin played 18:22 of ice time against the Bruins on Saturday, while Thompson stopped 27 of 29 shots he faced in the 3-1 loss.
