The Capitals made some final paper moves on Wednesday and set their opening night roster.
WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals' opening night roster is set.
Washington recalled Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas from the AHL's Hershey Bears on Wednesday and assigned Ivan Miroshnichenko and Riley Sutter. Hardy Häman Aktell is staying down and will start the season in Hershey. Joel Edmundson remains on IR, and Max Pacioretty is on the LTIR.
Here is the team's opening night roster.
Forwards: Alex Ovechkin (C), Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Connor McMichael, Tom Wilson, Sonny Milano, Dylan Strome, Matthew Phillips, Aliaksei Protas, Nic Dowd, Beck Malenstyn, Anthony Mantha, Max Pacioretty (LTIR)
Defensemen: John Carlson, Rasmus Sandin, Nick Jensen, Martin Fehervary, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Alex Alexeyev, Lucas Johansen, Joel Edmundson (IR)
Goaltenders: Darcy Kuemper, Charlie Lindgren
Phillips and Johansen are the two fringe players who secured a spot. Both have been paying their dues for years in the AHL and put head coach Spencer Carbery on notice over the course of camp.
Meanwhile, Beck Malenstyn, Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael, who all spent last year in Hershey and were pencilled in to make the full-time jump, are on the team and are expected to stick and stay up over the course of the 2023-24 campaign.
Meanwhile, Miroshnichenko will start the year down with the Bears as he continues to adapt to North America on and off the ice. Häman Aktell, who surprised during camp as one of the team's top defensemen, did not make the cut and will start the year down with the Bears as he adjusts to the game overseas.
Washington opens the season on Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 13.