Bold opening: The Capitals are back on the ice, and the first post-Olympic workout isn’t just a routine skate—it signals who’s ready to return and who’s still nursing injuries.
The Washington Capitals held an optional practice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Tuesday afternoon, marking their first on-ice session since the NHL’s Olympic break began. Monitored updates from Monumental Sports Network’s Tarik El-Bashir indicated the 2 p.m. skate drew solid turnout, with two players who had been sidelined by injuries rejoining the group: Connor McMichael (listed as upper-body) wearing a light blue no-contact jersey, and Charlie Lindgren (lower-body) taking part as well.
Head coach Spencer Carbery spoke about the scene, noting that the presence of McMichael and Lindgren out there was a positive sign. “Looked good. I’ll have to talk to Serbs [head athletic trainer Jason Serbus], but them being out there on the ice is a good sign,” Carbery said. He added that McMichael, who was seen participating in drills, would be watched closely to gauge progress for Wednesday’s session. “Chuckie, because he tends to be off to the side or not fully participating in drills, that’s a good sign for him being ready. Mikey, in the light blue today, looked like he could participate in everything, so we’ll see how it goes for tomorrow.”
McMichael sustained his injury on January 29 against the Detroit Red Wings, missing the final 8:18 of regulation and all overtime and the shootout. Carbery later explained the injury occurred when he was cross-checked by Red Wings defenseman Ben Chiarot during a Capitals power play.
Two days later, the Capitals announced McMichael would be out “week-to-week” and placed him on injured reserve. He missed the team’s final four games before the break. Through 55 games this season, the 25-year-old has tallied 31 points (8 goals, 23 assists).
Lindgren also went down during the Capitals’ shootout win over Detroit, needing teammates to carry him off the ice after the sudden jolt of pain as Moritz Seider unloaded a one-timer in overtime. The netminder, 32, was placed on injured reserve at the same time as McMichael, forcing the Capitals to recall Garin Bjorklund from the AHL Hershey Bears. With starting goalie Logan Thompson also sidelined, Clay Stevenson started in three of the Capitals’ final four games before the break.
Lindgren’s IR designation complicated goaltending depth for Washington. Per CBA rules, the Capitals still needed two goaltenders on the active roster during the Olympic pause, which left the Hershey Bears shorthanded by not having either Bjorklund or Stevenson for the duration. This situation contributed to Mitch Gibson, newly signed by the team, absorbing a larger workload during the break.
According to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, the only Capitals players not on the ice for Tuesday’s skate, aside from their three Olympians, were Justin Sourdif, Jakob Chychrun, and Sonny Milano.
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin did skate, returning from a family vacation in Dubai, and veteran defenseman John Carlson also participated. Carlson left the Capitals’ final game before the break against the Nashville Predators after the first period due to a lower-body injury.
Looking ahead, Washington will host its first full practice on Wednesday and intends to practice nearly every day leading up to their next game on February 25 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
