Michal Kempny

What cutting Michal Kempny means for the Capitals Opening Night roster

Michal Kempny was put on waivers by the Washington Capitals on Saturday. It means two things for the Capitals at the NHL level: the Czech defenseman could either be claimed by another team taking his $2.5M cap hit completely off the books or he can go unclaimed and sent to Hershey, where the Capitals could bury $1.125M of his salary.

The most likely scenario, given the Capitals made the move so many days before Opening Night where most teams don’t have much roster flexibility, is that Kempny will clear waivers and end up in the AHL.

That aggressive move by GM Brian MacLellan opens up a few roster possibilities for the cap-strapped Capitals without having to put Nicklas Backstrom, who is rehabbing a hip injury, on long-term injured reserve (which may still happen anyway).

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By Ian Oland 2 years ago

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Capitals put Michal Kempny on waivers with hopes of sending him to Hershey Bears

Despite doing everything he possibly could over the offseason, Michal Kempny just wasn’t himself during the preseason.

Saturday, the team announced they put the Czech defenseman on waivers with the hopes of assigning him to AHL Hershey if he clears.

Kempny is trying to return to the NHL after three traumatic injuries to his left leg in three years.

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By Ian Oland 2 years ago

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Michal Kempny admits that his first preseason game back from injury ‘wasn’t a good one’

Defenseman Michal Kempny played in his first Washington Capitals game since August 14, 2020, on Wednesday. It did not go well.

Kempny was noticeable, but not in a good way. He struggled to make defensive reads and he was on the ice for the Devils’ first two goals of the night.

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By Chris Cerullo 2 years ago

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Michal Kempny suffered three traumatic injuries to his left leg in three years. Now he’s back healthy and pain-free. ‘It means a lot to be here.’

Michal Kempny was the Capitals’ key acquisition down the stretch that helped them become Stanley Cup champions in 2018. Since then, Kempny’s impact has waned as three consecutive injuries to his left leg have paused what appeared to be a promising future.

The trouble all started for Kempny in March 2019, when he suffered a freak injury in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kempny tore his left hamstring after being wrestled to the ice during a scrum. The tear ended Kempny’s season, forced him to go under the knife, and delayed his start in 2019-20.

After playing 58 of 69 games that next year but was never quite himself, Kempny tore his Achilles in the Czech Republic during the offseason and missed all of the NHL’s 2020-21 season. As the defenseman neared a return nearly a half a year later around playoffs time, he injured his left leg again while rehabbing in Hershey during a freak accident with an ice shoveler. “Shit happens,” a demoralized Kempny wrote on Instagram after the incident occurred.

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By Ian Oland 2 years ago

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The 10 best photos the Capitals shared from Media Day

The Washington Capitals are officially back, you guys!

The team held Media Day on Wednesday – its first official day of 2021 Training Camp. The team and its partners, such as NBC Sports Washington, took video and photos for future game broadcasts and promotions.

The Capitals shared a bunch of media throughout the day.

Here were our favorite posts.

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By Ian Oland 2 years ago

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Capitals players say their goodbyes to ‘great guy, great goalie’ Vitek Vanecek after Expansion Draft

Vitek Vanecek, the Capitals starting goaltender last season, was tragically snatched up by the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion Draft on Wednesday. Vitek will form a battery in net with Chris Driedger (FLA) and Joey Daccord (OTT).

During the night, tributes poured in from Vitek’s former (sigh) Capitals’ teammates.

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By Ian Oland 2 years ago

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Michal Kempny helps rebuild ravaged Czech hometown after devastating EF-3 tornado

Michal Kempny is helping clean up the South Moravia area after an EF-3 tornado ravaged several Czech villages, including his hometown of Hodonín, on Thursday night. The tornado, which had winds of at least 136 mph (219km/h) per the BBC, left five people dead and more than 150 others injured.

“I still can’t believe what kind of a catastrophe struck the south of Moravia yesterday,” Kempny said on Instagram according to a translation by RMNB’s Alexandra Petáková. “The region I hail from and where I love to return. Today’s return is different and personal. Assessing the current situation gives me chills. I am very grateful that my family and closest people are alright and safe, but on the other hand, I know many families were not that lucky and that makes me feel sad. Stay strong south Moravia! We will get through this! #Lužice”

Kempny documented the devastation on his Instagram and it’s stunning.

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By Ian Oland 2 years ago

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Michal Kempny reunites with former Capital Jakub Vrana at soccer game in Hungary

Two 2018 Stanley Cup champions met up halfway across the world for a soccer game, Wednesday.

Michal Kempny and former Capital Jakub Vrana both attended the Euro 2020 game between Portugal and 2018 World Cup champion France. The game was held at Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary.

The two Czechs took a photo together near the field. “Found him,” wrote Kempny on his Instagram Story.

They weren’t the only sports stars to reunite during the game.

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By Ian Oland 2 years ago

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Michal Kempny returns to Washington after freak injury with shovel: ‘Sh*t happens’

Michal Kempny returned to Washington over the weekend disappointed after suffering another unlucky and bizarre injury.

On Saturday, while playing for the Hershey Bears, Kempny was injured during a break in play after being struck by an ice shoveler. The Czech defenseman was in Hershey to rehabilitate a torn Achilles he suffered over the offseason.

“I don’t think it’s too, too bad,” Bears head coach Spencer Carbery said of Kempny’s setback after the game. “Just an unfortunate situation.”

Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette also commented on Kempny’s unfortunate shovel incident.

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By Ian Oland 2 years ago

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Michal Kempny gets injured by ice scraper during Hershey Bears game

Michal Kempny, who is on a conditioning stint with the Hershey Bears, got injured during the second period of the team’s 3-0 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Saturday.

But *please note* the injury did not happen during actual gameplay. Kempny had “incidental contact” with one of the ice scrapers as play was paused. Spencer Carbery, according to Inside AHL Hockey’s Julie Beidler, said after the game to “chalk that up to the weird things this year.”

He described Kempny’s injury as not “too, too bad.”

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By Ian Oland 2 years ago

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