The Capitals forward is back up with the organization after having been cut near the end of training camp.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Nicolas Aube-Kubel was no stranger to the situation he was in back on Oct. 6. He was brought into Spencer Carbery's office before the training camp session that day and told that he would be placed on waivers, and, if he cleared, that he would be starting his season down in the AHL with the Hershey Bears.
It'd been the same spot he was in with the Toronto Maple Leafs last year that'd led to his initial claim by the Capitals, and though disappointing, it was a lesson for the 27-year-old.
"I think I learned from camp," Aube-Kubel reflected. "Maybe tried to do too much or not playing in what Carbs wanted me to do."
it wasn't necessarily Aube-Kubel's play that led to his cut, but the rise of Matthew Phillips, Beck Malenstyn and more young players that made it impossible to keep him around. He also acknowledged that there was work he had to do going forward.
After clearing and officially ending back up in the AHL for the first time since 2019-20, Aube-Kubel headed down to Pennsylvania to hit reset with the defending Calder Cup champions. It got him thinking, and what was next was clear: get to work, and get back up.
"I've been in that situation before," he pointed out to The Hockey News.
Through the first 11 games of the season with the Bears, Aube-Kubel had a goal and two assists, while also using his physicality and speed to make a statement for Hershey. And when injuries struck up front, the Quebec native got the call back up, and he made the most of it.
Over the last 12 days, Aube-Kubel has gone from a call-up to a fixture, as he's helped resurrect the fourth line and establish an identity working with Nic Dowd and Beck Malenstyn. In four games, he has a goal and two assists, as well as 11 hits, five blocks, seven takeaways and a plus/minus rating of plus-3.
Beyond the numbers, his play has also spoken volumes. He's winning puck battles, breaking up plays and generating speed and pressure in all three zones. In fact, NAK ranks eighth in top speed among all NHL skaters at 23.42 miles per hour.
"When you have a guy you can call up and pick up where he left off, he's a guy that's working really hard right now," Tom Wilson said. "He just wants it. He's hungry, and that's what we need out of every guy in our lineup... he's a strong kid, he works really hard and he's moving really well. It's an effective line when they're all skating and working out hard."
At the end of the day, it's all part of the plan for No. 96, and it's as much as mental game as it is physical.
"I always find a way to get noticed and play inside the mold the coach want me to play," Aube-Kubel said of getting called back up.