The Capitals will get a key name back in the mix on Friday.
The Washington Capitals are working through quite a bit on the injury front, but they will see a key name make his return to action on Friday against the New Jersey Devils.
Nic Dowd, who has not played since Oct. 16 against the Calgary Flames, is expected to draw back into the lineup, head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters after the team's morning skate.
Dowd has missed the last nine games with an undisclosed upper-body injury. It is unclear if that ailment was related to the core surgery he had over the summer.
Expect Dowd to draw into his usual spot as the fourth-line center and on the top penalty killing unit.
In addition to Dowd, Carbery said that Nicolas Aube-Kubel will make his season debut. The 27-year-old got his call back up to Washington on Friday with Anthony Mantha now on the injured reserve after being struck in the left side of the head by a puck in Wednesday's loss to the Florida Panthers.
Aube-Kubel had been among the team's forward cuts at training camp following the rise of Matthew Phillips, Beck Malenstyn and more. Now, he'll get a chance to draw back in at the NHL level and show what he can do. Through 11 games with Hershey to start the season, Aube-Kubel has a goal and two assists.
In addition to Mantha, Trevor van Riemsdyk is also on the injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Puck drop between the Capitals and Devils is at 7 p.m. ET at Prudential Center.