Snively's loan back to Hershey is a good sign for the Capitals.
The Washington Capitals returned Joe Snively to the AHL's Hershey Bears following a three-game road swing that saw him sub in for Sonny Milano, and the move indicates that things may be looking up on the injury front.
Milano, who was placed on the injured reserve after suffering an upper-body ailment in last weekend's back-to-back, could be working toward a return. He remains on IR at this time, though, and can be activated as soon as Wednesday, when Washington faces the New York Islanders.
More encouragingly, though, T.J. Oshie, who was a late scratch on Sunday due to a lower-body injury, is not on the injured reserve, indicating that his injury isn't severe.
It is unclear what happened to the 36-year-old, but with Washington electing to send down Snively and have just one extra forward, it is a big plus for Oshie, who has a riddled injury history and has points in his last two games.
Meanwhile, Max Pacioretty, who remains on the long-term injured reserve while recovering from his re-torn Achilles, is making big strides.
He shed the powder blue non-contact jersey at Friday's optional on the road and started to take some bumps and contact in drills, though it's unclear if that meant official clearance for No. 67. Still, it's a major positive, as he is a couple of weeks away from making a return and helping out the top-6.
Pacioretty is expected to play after the holiday break, as he still needs reps to get back to full speed and ready for game action. He hasn't played since being re-injured on Jan. 19, five months after his first Achilles tear.
Besides that, Nicklas Backstrom is the only other player on LTIR for the longer haul, and it's unlikely he will return this season. He remains around the facility and has skated in a tracksuit, but his decision to step away amid complications following hip resurfacing surgery remains the same.