Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette announced on Sunday that both defenseman Martin Fehervary and goaltender Darcy Kuemper are day-to-day with upper-body injuries.
The two players left Saturday’s loss to the Calgary Flames early and did not return. The Caps are currently in Edmonton to play the Oilers on Monday.
The news comes per The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir, who also adds that Laviolette has already deemed Fehervary out for the game in Edmonton while Kuemper is still being evaluated for his availability.
Fehervary’s ailment seems to be arm related as he immediately pulled up lame after receiving a hit from Milan Lucic along the side boards on Saturday. The talented young defenseman was spotted wearing a sling on his left arm after the game.
In 26 games this season playing exclusively top-four minutes, Fehervary has recorded four points (2g, 2a).
The Capitals are carrying an extra defenseman so they will not need to make a call-up from AHL Hershey just yet. Alex Alexeyev and Matt Irwin should both get a sweater from Laviolette.
However, if Kuemper is deemed unfit to even back up Charlie Lindgren against the Oilers, that is a different story. It appears the Caps are taking all precautions necessary there as earlier Sunday the Hershey Bears signed netminder Justin Kapelmaster to a professional tryout.
Regular AHL starter of late, Hunter Shepard did not take the ice pregame for the Bears’ game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Shepard is likely headed to Edmonton to join the Caps.
Shepard recently became the first Hershey Bears player to earn AHL Goalie of the Month honors since Braden Holtby did so in 2012. He went undefeated in six starts in November while posting a 1.63 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage for the Chocolate and White, stopping 147 of the 157 shots he faced.
We have signed goaltender Justin Kapelmaster to a professional tryout ahead of today's game. https://t.co/8xPKZJBjGO
Donegal Insurance Group | Roster Moves pic.twitter.com/r8S25LGswC
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) December 4, 2022
El-Bashir also added that although the team did not hold practice on Sunday, Dmitry Orlov was on the ice getting in some work with the recent healthy scratches. Orlov missed his thirteenth game in a row with a lower-body injury on Saturday in Calgary.
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
