Brian MacLellan said that the Capitals could see some key names returning sooner rather than later.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals got some promising news on the injury front on Monday, as Nic Dowd and Joel Edmundson could be back skating with the team by week's end.
Per general manager Brian MacLellan, the hope is to get Dowd and Edmundson back in the swing of practicing with the team by the end of th week. Washington then goes on the road, where the hope is both will continue to progress and, eventually, be good to go.
"He's coming. Hopefully we'll get him into a practice here at the end of the week and then we'll go from there," MacLellan said of Edmundson. "Same thing [with Dowd]."
Edmundson has yet to play a game for his new team after breaking his hand in a training camp practice scrimmage and undergoing subsequent surgery in late September. The 30-year-old blueliner was acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens with Washington looking to bring in another tough, physical presence and shutdown blueliner.
Dowd, meanwhile, hasn't played since Oct. 16 against the Calgary Flames, where he appeared to be playing through something. The 33-year-old underwent core surgery in the offseason and had said that he would have to continue to navigate injury throughout the rest of his career, though it's unclear if this upper-body ailment is related to that.
Getting both back will be key for Washington, as Edmundson can help bolster the blue line and provide more protection in front of the crease, while Dowd will get back to centering the fourth line and helping win draws and keeping the penalty kill successful.
Beyond Edmundson and Dowd, MacLellan also gave updates on Trevor van Riemsdyk, Max Pacioretty and Nicklas Backstrom. Van Riemsdyk is day-to-day, and the injury is not as serious as it looked on Saturday. Meanwhile, Pacioretty is continuing to skate on his own and will continue to be evaluated as he works his way back to skating with the team.
Nicklas Backstrom, who announced that he is stepping away from hockey indefinitely due to his ongoing hip issues and his body not responding to resurfacing surgery, is "unlikely" to return this season, per MacLellan.
The Capitals return to action on Wednesday with a home game against the Florida Panthers before heading on a road swing.