The Washington Capitals will wrap up their preseason with a veteran-heavy lineup on Saturday, as they play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a dress rehearsal that also carries significant weight for the group.
Washington's roster sits at 27 players, and there are still a number of players still in the race for spots that'll draw into the mix. Hendrix Lapierre will keep his spot as the third-line center, Ivan Miroshnichenko will get one more game up front as he looks to show the coaching staff that he can be a full-time NHLer and on defense, Dylan McIlrath will draw in with Declan Chisholm on the third pairing.
Sonny Milano will take warmups in case he's needed due to a game-time decision up front, but if all works out, he'll be a healthy scratch, along with hopefuls Ethen Frank and Vincent Iorio and regulars Anthony Beauvillier, Jakob Chychrun and Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Logan Thompson will play the entirety of the game with Charlie Lindgren backing up, and Clay Stevenson will sit out as a scratch as well.
Here are the projected line combinations:
Alex Ovechkin-Dylan Strome-Aliaksei Protas
Connor McMichael-Pierre-Luc Dubois-Tom Wilson
Ivan Miroshnichenko-Hendrix Lapierre-Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime-Nic Dowd-Justin Sourdif
Martin Fehervary-John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin-Matt Roy
Declan Chisholm-Dylan McIlrath
Logan Thompson
Charlie Lindgren
As coach Spencer Carbery noted pregame, this finale will give the team's regulars a chance to ramp up ahead of the season opener, but also marks a vital game for those still vying for a spot. Opening night rosters are due Monday at 5 p.m.
"We’re going to do everything we can as an organization to make the best possible decision for the Washington Capitals," Carbery said.