The Washington Capitals are still waiting to get trade deadline acquisition David Kampf into his debut game.
After visa issues barred him from playing in four straight games to begin his tenure with the Capitals, he then had to jet back to Vancouver to be with his wife as the couple welcomed their second child. The trip back west forced him to miss Wednesday’s win over the Ottawa Senators, but his whirlwind first few weeks with the Caps may be calming down soon.
“Nothing new at this point, still out in Vancouver,” head coach Spencer Carbery said Thursday. “Visa has been resolved. I’m sure he’s still working out, but I haven’t gotten an update [on whether] he’s been able to get on the ice.”
The Capitals dealt a sixth-round pick to the Canucks to bring in Kampf at the deadline. If he’s not back in DC and ready to play against the New Jersey Devils on Friday night, he’ll have just 12 remaining possible games to get into for the Caps this season.
Kampf, who has six points (2g, 4a) in 38 games this season, is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July. In his absence, Carbery has tried a few different players at fourth-line center, including Connor McMichael, Justin Sourdif, and Hendrix Lapierre.
Sourdif started on the line in Wednesday’s win against the Senators, but it was Lapierre who finished the game between Brandon Duhaime and Ethen Frank.
After the matchup with New Jersey, the Capitals have just one game remaining on this homestand against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. They will then set out on a three-game road trip to St. Louis, Utah, and Vegas next week.
