The Capitals have three goaltenders up with the big club ahead of the deadline.
The Washington Capitals made a goaltending recall ahead of Thursday's tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins, bringing up Hunter Shepard from the AHL's Hershey Bears.
Kuemper is a game-time decision after missing morning skate due to illness. The original plan was for Kuemper to start, so it is unclear if Shepard will go or if Charlie Lindgren will get the nod against Pittsburgh.
It's a key Metropolitan Division showdown, as the Capitals and Penguins are tied in the standings and are both seven points out of a playoff spot.
Lindgren is healthy, but his name has popped up in trade rumors across the board, so the team may not want to play him and risk injury if he is a name that could end up being traded before the deadline on Friday at 3 p.m.
The 30-year-old netminder made it clear that he did not want to be moved, but his impressive play has made him a target that reportedly carries "significant value."
"Not (thinking about it) too much," Lindgren told The Hockey News. "My name's out there, and to me, I don't put really any focus into it. I think, as you probably know, I absolutely love being here. I love being in D.C., I love where I'm at, I love the group here, I love the staff. So (being traded) is not something I think about wholeheartedly.
"The things I can focus on is my effort and attitude, and really that's the only two things that I can really focus on," Lindgren said. "Because it's the two things that matter the most to me. So what I can bring to the rink every single day and what I do; it's the two things that matter to me most. Making sure I'm working on my habits and all that stuff. I can't worry about outside noise."