ARLINGTON, VA — Two of Washington’s most talented young players are back on Capitals ice.
Cole Hutson and Justin Sourdif have both returned to DC, taking part in Wednesday’s informal skate at MedStar Capitals Iceplex alongside a growing group of teammates.
Hutson, 20, is gearing up for his first full season in the NHL after a stellar debut last spring. After finishing his sophomore season with Boston University, Hutson signed with the Capitals in March and made an immediate impact in Washington. He scored more points (7) in his first 10 NHL games than any rookie defenseman in Capitals history and ended the season with 10 points (3g, 7a) in 14 games, including his first multi-point night on March 28.
After joining the Capitals in an offseason trade last summer, Sourdif earned himself a full-time NHL job with a breakout season. Pierre-Luc Dubois’ early-season injury gave Sourdif a chance to play higher in the lineup, and he seized on the opportunity, earning head coach Spencer Carbery’s trust and centering some of the Capitals’ best wingers. He ended the season with 35 points (15g, 20a) in 78 games, including his first NHL hat trick.
Clay Stevenson, 27, was also a new arrival at Wednesday’s skate. Though he didn’t take part in the skills session, players needed a second goalie for their scrimmage and coaxed Stevenson onto the ice with a chorus of stick taps.
Stevenson played four games for the Capitals last season amid injuries to Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren, earning his first NHL win over the Carolina Hurricanes on January 31. He ended the season with a 3-1-0 record, .921 save percentage, and 2.00 goals-against average for the Capitals. As the Hershey Bears’ starter, Stevenson posted a 18-13-3 record in the AHL, with a 0.912 save percentage and 2.62 goals-against average.
Among the other Capitals players close to returning to the ice include Aliaksei Protas, who appeared to return to DC Tuesday night. Protas’s wife, Tatsiana, posted a photo of their daughter at the airport after it touched down in the nation’s capital.
The Capitals have yet to release their training camp schedule, but they will play their first preseason game on September 20 before beginning the regular season against the Carolina Hurricanes on October 2.
