As is typical in any given NHL season, the Washington Capitals are without a handful of key players due to illness and injury. Defenseman Vincent Desharnais and goaltender Logan Thompson are out with injuries, and centers Pierre-Luc Dubois and Justin Sourdif are out with illness. Here are the latest updates on these four from Friday morning’s practice.
Desharnais Recovering From Surgery
Big blueliner Desharnais will be out for the next four to six weeks after undergoing a successful appendectomy on Thursday. He was hospitalized on Wednesday night after suddenly showing concerning symptoms. He was taken into emergency surgery to have his appendix removed.
Head coach Spencer Carbery noted that the procedure was “totally out of the blue: no symptoms, just all of a sudden…needs to get his appendix removed,” adding that it was “unfortunate” and a “big hole to fill”. Across nine games this season, Desharnais recorded three assists, 18 blocked shots, 22 hits, and a team-leading plus-9 rating.
He has averaged a career-high 19:24 of ice time per game, with 3:34 of that coming on the penalty kill. He has been defensively-minded in all facets of the game, from even-strength to special teams, and has played well paired with two-way defender Cole Hutson. With fellow defenseman Matt Roy finally back in the lineup, the defensive pairings are expected to look as follows:
Jakob Cychrun-Roy
Martin Fehervary-Timothy Liljegren
Cole Hutson-Dylan McIlrath
The team may also recall backup defensemen from the American Hockey League (AHL), such as Justin Holl, who filled in during Roy’s absence. Holl scored two goals in three games to start the season before returning to the Hershey Bears.
Thompson Suffers Lower-Body Injury
Unfortunately, Thompson suffered a lower-body injury in the team’s loss to the Los Angeles Kings. He did not practice on Friday morning and is day-to-day, per Carbery. Charlie Lindgren will likely be between the pipes on Saturday as the Capitals host the Buffalo Sabres.
Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images)
If Thompson is unable to serve as backup, the team will recall Mitch Gibson from the Bears, who is the only eligible minor-league goalie in the organization. The 27-year-old has a 1-1-0 record so far this season with an .881 save percentage and a 3.50 goals-against average.
Dubois and Sourdif Illness Updates
Centers Dubois and Sourdif have both missed multiple games with undisclosed illnesses; Dubois has missed five games and Sourdif has missed two. However, we could see their returns Saturday. Dubois began practicing in a non-contact jersey on Wednesday, and both players were full participants in Friday morning’s practice.
Before his illness, Dubois was a critical piece of the Capitals’ success. He had four points (one goal, three assists) in as many games and averaged 17:06 on ice. Jonny Brodzinski was recalled in his place, but has since been loaned back to the Bears.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, Washington Capitals (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
Sourdif had one goal in seven games before falling ill and was a top-performing penalty killer. He spent a career-high 16:05 on ice in the team’s win over the Montreal Canadiens and has mainly played on the fourth line alongside Boone Jenner and a rotating third forward. He is impressive at the faceoff dot, winning 56.8 percent of his draws.
While Dubois seems set to return Saturday, Sourdif’s return is less clear. The team seems hopeful for the forward to be back in action, but the final decision will come before the game. When the Capitals are healthy, they are a powerful group. They noticeably struggle without Dubois in the lineup, so his return has been much anticipated.
Hopefully, they can pull out a much-needed win against Eastern Conference rival Buffalo on Saturday. After allowing unanswered goals in a disappointing 5-2 loss to the Kings, they will need to bounce back in a big way.
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