Capitals Injury Notes: Edmundson Skates, What It Means For Roster, Latest On Him & Pacioretty

The Capitals saw a positive sign on the injury front on Saturday, as Joel Edmundson skated in a non-contract jersey.

The Washington Capitals got a positive sign on the injury front on Saturday, as they saw Joel Edmundson take the ice.

Per NHL.com's Tom Gulitti, Edmundson was on the ice in a non-contact jersey. He underwent surgery on Sept. 26 to repair a hand fracture suffered in a non-game scrimmage.

It's a promising sign for D.C., who was relying on the 6-foot-5 blueliner to bring some grit and a shutdown mentality to the third pairing with Trevor van Riemsdyk. His timetable is 4-6 weeks, and given he's back on the ice, his timetable could have him back in the mix by late October.

At this point, it's hard to envision him going on the long-term injured reserve to open the 2023-24 campaign, as he'd be required to miss at least 10 games. That being said,  Washington may have to make some more decisions on the blue line when the time comes to set the opening night roster and become cap-compliant.

Alex Alexeyev, Hardy Häman Aktell and Lucas Johansen are all still in the fight for a role on the blue line. When Edmundson returns, one of them will be the No. 7 defenseman, unless the team rolls with eight blueliners.

The story is different up front, as Max Pacioretty still hasn't skated but is with the team as he continues his rehabilitation from his second torn Achilles in a span of five months. Nothing has changed with regard to his recovery, as the team hasn't set a concrete timetable for him yet. He is likely to start on the long-term injured reserve.