The Washington Capitals Training Camp roster is now down to 40.
The Capitals cut forwards Bogdan Trineyev and Josh Dunne, defenseman Jacob MacDonald, and goaltender Mitch Gibson from their roster on Friday morning. Because all four players are on NHL contracts, they must pass through waivers.
If they go unclaimed during the NHL’s 24-hour waiver period, they can be assigned to Hershey on Saturday.
The writing was on the wall for all four who spent the entirety of camp with Group B. The collection of players consisted of AHL players and prospects only while Group A included players likely to make the NHL roster and bubble players.
Trineyev is the most valuable of the four and the player the Capitals risk losing most. The 24-year-old Voronzeh, Russia-native made his NHL debut last season, suiting up in two games with the Capitals total. In Hershey, Trineyev was a heavily relied-upon top-line player, posting 45 points (17g, 28a) in 62 games and playing in all situations. He also led the team in playoff goals for the second year in a row, tying Ilya Protas for second on the team in scoring with 6 points (3g, 3a).
Dunne, who spent the previous two seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, hits waivers after being signed to the veteran minimum by the Capitals on the first day of free agency. The 6-foot-4, 27-year-old forward has appeared in 50 career NHL games, recording one goal and three assists. He spent a majority of last season with the Sabres, posting four points (1g, 3a) in 34 games.
MacDonald, a defenseman, was signed to a two-way contract on July 5. He played the last two seasons in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles, recording 12 points (4g, 8a) after missing the first five months of the campaign due to hip surgery. In 2024-25, MacDonald won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s best defenseman after leading all defenders in scoring with 55 points (31g, 24a) in 63 games. His 31 goals were the most by a defenseman in a single season in AHL history.
Gibson is likely slated to be Clay Stevenson‘s backup in Hershey if “Mud” passes through waivers. If Stevenson does not, the team could opt to sign Cal Petersen to a contract after inviting the veteran netminder to camp on a PTO.
The four moves are all part of the Capitals’ final push toward their Opening Night roster. The Capitals previously made nine cuts on September 22.
Washington still has 17 extra players in camp and must eventually get down to a maximum 23-player active roster by 5 pm ET on September 28.
The Caps have two preseason games remaining — Friday against the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena and Saturday in Philadelphia — before opening the regular season against the Carolina Hurricanes on October 2.
