Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary still expects to be ready for the start of the 2025-26 regular season, but he admits that there have been some complications as he continues to recover from the knee surgery he had at the end of last season.

Fehervary tore his meniscus in the second-to-last game of the regular season against the New York Islanders, resulting in surgery and his missing the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It marked a major blow to the Capitals' blue line as the team ultimately fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round and prioritized bolstering the defensive depth this offseason.

While Fehervary was on the right track earlier this offseason, he told Sportnet and Slovak media that he was still dealing with fallout from the surgery.

"I should have been training on the ice for a month already," Fehervary said, adding, "I’ve had a little inflammation there actually and I can’t get rid of it completely and it’s still hurting me a little bit.”

The 24-year-old, who signed a seven-year contract extension at the start of the offseason, is set to return to the United States at the end of August and has been in touch with the Capitals on his recovery and progress.

While he's confident he will be ready to go, he did say that he doesn't want to rush anything.

"I just want to be more reasonable with the knee... it will be okay," Fehervary said.

Fehervary is an integral part of Washington's blue line, having played a key shutdown role over the last few years. He has been paired mainly with Matt Roy of late, but has been a steady partner for John Carlson.

If Fehervary isn't ready to go by the start of the season, the Capitals do have the depth to fill the void, with new acquisition Declan Chisholm joining the mix.