The biggest name in the group is still on track.
Capitals captain and NHL all-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin will sit out Washington’s final two preseason games against Boston and Philadelphia, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, but the move appears to be precautionary. Ovechkin, 41, is working back from an undisclosed lower-body injury he picked up earlier in training camp, and coach Spencer Carbery sounded optimistic on Friday.
“I expect him to be ready,” said coach Spencer Carbery on Friday, ” We would need a setback for him not to be ready for our opening game of the season in Carolina.”
Ovechkin had gone three straight days without skating after the injury, then returned for a brief practice on Wednesday before taking part fully on Thursday. He was also on the ice for the morning skate before Friday night’s game against the Bruins, which points to the Capitals treating this as a careful holdout rather than a real concern. Washington opens the season Friday, Oct. 2, in Raleigh.
There was also injury news out of Detroit on Friday, where Todd McLellan gave updates ahead of the Red Wings’ final preseason game against Columbus on Saturday, per Ansaw Khan of MLive. Dylan Larkin, who has already missed all three preseason games, is still working back from an upper-body injury and won’t be ready for the finale. Defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker is listed day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and his status for Saturday has not been confirmed.
Buffalo got a more encouraging read on Owen Zellweger. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said the defenseman “Zellweger has a great skate today and feels good.”
Ruff added that, in all likelihood, Zellweger should be ready for next week, according to WGR’s Paul Hamilton. Zellweger suffered a concussion in Buffalo’s preseason game against Columbus on Tuesday night.
The 2021 second-round pick was acquired from Anaheim in June for Anton Wahlberg and a 2026 second, and he produced 22 points in 76 games for the Ducks last season.
Pittsburgh is dealing with a forward injury of its own. Justin Brazeau is still being evaluated for a lower-body injury and did not practice Friday, according to the team.
He was hurt in Monday night’s preseason game against the Sabres. The 28-year-old bottom-six winger is coming off a career season with the Penguins, finishing with 17 goals and 34 points in 64 games.
Pittsburgh opens the regular season Sept. 30 in Philadelphia.
In Other News...
Flames Already Have A New Blue Line Question After Camp
The Red Wings added another layer to their blue line plans by claiming defenseman Andreas Englund off waivers from Calgary, giving them a veteran depth piece as camp moves into its final stretch. Englund, 30, signed a one-year deal with the Flames, but his time there ended quickly after he was outplayed in camp, and Detroit now gets a player with NHL experience across several teams at a position where extra bodies can matter.
For the Red Wings, the move fits into a broader defensive picture that still has one important unfinished piece. They are working to finalize a deal with restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson, and until that is settled, there is still some uncertainty about how the back end will line up when the roster takes shape for real. Englund does not change the headline as much as he adds insurance, but in September, that kind of insurance can be useful. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Roster Battle Just Got A Lot Tougher To Call
Mason Appleton has made himself part of one of the more interesting decisions lingering over Red Wings camp. His work in training camp and the preseason has stood out enough to keep him in the conversation, even as younger players push hard for jobs and the roster picture begins to take shape. Coach Todd McLellan has made it clear this is still a competition, and Appletons case is built on showing he can bring value in a crowded fight for spots.
The pressure is real because some of the younger players have already done enough to stick, while others are still trying to win over the coaching staff. Carter Mazur is among the names in that second group, and his situation helps explain why the final decisions are not so simple. For Appleton, the challenge is straightforward but unforgiving: keep performing well enough that the team has no choice but to keep him around. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Final Preseason Game Will Force Tough Roster Calls
The final preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets is arriving at the right time for the Red Wings, because the roster picture is getting crowded in the areas that matter most. Detroit has already begun sorting through a group that includes Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Anton Johansson, Carter Mazur and Mason Appleton, while the goaltending tandem of John Gibson and Daniil Tarasov looks set heading into the regular season.
What remains unsettled is the kind of late-stage trimming that can reshape the back end of the roster and the forward mix all at once. The Red Wings still need to make more cuts to get under the required limits, and the final defense spot is part of the problem, with several young blue-liners still in the mix and at least one candidate working through an injury, leaving the front office with a few difficult decisions to settle before opening night. [Read more 🡒]