How Are The Capitals' Regular Scratches Faring Without Playing Time? Dylan McIlrath Offers Insight

ARLINGTON, V.A. — Dylan McIlrath wasn't oblivious to his role when he made the full-time jump up to the NHL this season, knowing that his games with the Washington Capitals would be few and far between as a seventh defenseman.

That doesn't make the life of a regular healthy scratch any easier, though.

"I think the hardest part is not being in the locker room on game day, getting the juices flowing with the teammates," McIlrath said. "Having that camraderie on the ice and in the room, that's what I miss the most."

McIlrath has appeared in just 11 games for Washington this season, spending most of his time watching from the press box with the blue line having been mostly healthy over the course of the regular season. He last played back on Dec. 23 against the Boston Bruins, skating just 1:45 minutes as the team dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen. His last legitimate game was on Nov. 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes; even then, he logged just 10:47 minutes of ice itme.

"Luckily I got in games early to get my feet wet early. This would be tough if I hadn't had a game yet," McIlrath said. "I can lean on knowing that i can play at this level, just with having ome success early and feeling comfortable, so taht gives me confidence if and when my time comes."

McIlrath, who captained the AHL's Hershey Bears to back-to-back Calder Cups the last two seasons, has regularly been an extra, along with Alex Alexeyev and Jakub Vrana, who finally made his return to the lineup on Thursday with Tom Wilson ill.

McIlrath has been scratched for 25 straight games, and Alexeyev has had the longest stretch of scratches, having not played since Nov. 8 (46 games).

Going through those long periods of time between playing, McIlrath said he and his fellow scratches have been able to lean on one another to make the experience easier.

"There's good days and bad days during these stretches, but we just try to keep our spirits up. We try to have fun with each other, making sure there's a balance of having fun but staying competitive on the ice with each other and pushing each other," McIlrath said, adding, "We're trying to just mentally be there for each other, and it's been good. We've gotten a lot closer."

With 23 games left in the regular season, McIlrath said that he's okay with where things stand regarding his role, and appreciates coach Spencer Carbery for remaining honest and transparent in the process. That said, he's doing what he can to make sure he is ready when his number is called.

"It's just the situation; I'm at peace with it. It doesn't make it easy, but it's something that I know I just got to focus on myself. I've been at it long enough to be a pro, and I know I got to be ready when my time (comes)," McIlrath said, adding, "So (I'm) really taking advantage of a full team practice and making sure I'm keeping that pace as the other guys and treating it as if it were a game."