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...
Capitals Win Offered Their Clearest Look Yet At One Crucial Change
The Capitals got a late preseason test against Boston and used it to sharpen one of the biggest questions facing the team: how quickly a revamped power play can come together under new coach Ray Bennett. In a 3-2 overtime win in their second-to-last exhibition game, Washington mixed and matched line combinations while looking for the right chemistry, and the unit stood out as the most encouraging part of the night.
There was also a chance to see how the group would function with Alexander Ovechkin unavailable because of a lower-body injury, which pushed Ethen Frank into a featured role on the top power-play unit. The looks were different, the urgency was obvious and the results were there, even if the final preseason tune-up still leaves one bigger question hanging over the group heading into opening night. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Suddenly Face A Dylan Larkin Question They Can't Ignore
The trade market around Dylan Larkin has widened enough to put a handful of contenders back on alert, and Washington is now part of the conversation. What began as a short list of preferred destinations has grown, with reports saying the Detroit captain would now consider several more teams, a development that immediately matters to clubs looking for a center upgrade and to rivals trying to gauge whether there is any realistic path to a deal.
For the Capitals, the fit is at least worth monitoring, even if the hurdles are obvious. Detroit interim GM Shawn Horcoff is still sorting through possibilities, but cap space, protected contracts and thin trade assets have already made this a difficult puzzle across the league. Until a cleaner framework emerges, Washington remains one of the names attached to the situation without much clarity on how the pieces would actually come together. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Blue Line Suddenly Has A Roster Problem Before Opening Night
With opening night drawing closer, the Capitals are making their last roster checks in the usual preseason shuffle. Washington recalled Tyler Kopff, Petr Sikora, Alexander Suzdalev and Jon McDonald from AHL Hershey for one more preseason game, a sign that the club is still sorting out the edges of its depth chart before submitting its final group.
The other notable move came on the back end, where veteran defenseman Justin Holl was placed on waivers. It is the kind of transaction that can reshape the final hours of camp, especially for a team trying to balance experience with younger options, and it adds another bit of uncertainty as Washington heads into the stretch run before the opener. [Read more 🡒]