ARLINGTON, VA — 26 days after the trade deadline, David Kampf is set to play his first game for the Capitals.
Kampf will suit up on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers, head coach Spencer Carbery confirmed after morning skate. His Capitals debut comes after an 11-game absence since the Capitals acquired him from the Vancouver Canucks.
In the days after the trade, visa issues kept Kampf from playing, though he was able to practice with the team. He later returned to Vancouver for the birth of his child; he and his wife welcomed their daughter Isabella on March 19.
Kampf re-joined the Capitals during their three-game road trip out west but took some time to get up to speed. In 38 games with the Canucks this season, he recorded six points (2g, 4a), with his last game coming on March 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Though Kampf’s time in DC has been limited, he’s already familiar with Carbery, who was an assistant coach for the Maple Leafs during Kampf’s tenure in Toronto. Carbery told reporters that Kampf’s role as a defensive forward should make the transition back to playing easier.
“(I hope to see) just his reliable self,” Carbery said. “He’s played in this league a long time and knows his identity, knows what he needs to do. I feel like someone that’s missed a lot of time, hasn’t played in a lot of games, sometimes for power play guys, skill guys, guys that produce offensively, it takes a little bit because of the puck touches and that.
“For guys of David Kampf’s identity, I think it’s a little bit easier. Not that it’s not anything, but it’s a little bit easier because it’s all about positioning, reads, being in good spots, and that stuff comes pretty second nature to him.”
Carbery confirmed that Ethen Frank has been cleared to play after missing three games with a lower-body injury, but he will remain out of the lineup as a healthy scratch.
“He’s good,” Carbery said of Frank. “He’s good to go. Coach’s decision (not to play him).”
With Kampf drawing into the lineup, Hendrix Lapierre will move back to the wing. Logan Thompson will get his eighth-straight start in net.
The Capitals currently sit three points behind the Philadelphia Flyers and five points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Puck drop is set for 7 pm.
