The Capitals are working through quite a bit on the injury front.
The Washington Capitals are working through quite a bit on the injury front and made some more transactions as they head north for a two-game road swing in New Jersey and New York
Washington returned Michael Sgarbossa to the AHL's Hershey Bears and placed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk on the injured reserve.
With Sgarbossa going down and Anthony Mantha not on the road trip with the team after being struck in the head by a puck on Wednesday, Washington does need another middle-6 forward to fill the void, and a call-up seems to be imminent.
The team is also awaiting word on Nic Dowd, who is making progress and was said to be a potential candidate to return to play this weekend. Without Dowd, Washington has just 11 forwards at this time.
Dowd has not played since Oct. 16 against the Calgary Flames, where he appeared to be dealing with an ailment. He has played in just two games this season and is coming off a busy summer that saw him undergo core surgery. It's unclear if the upper-body injury he's been dealing with, though, is related to that procedure.
Van Riemsdyk, meanwhile, is not on the road trip and may need a bit longer as he continues to recover from a lower-body injury he suffered on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He has been skating on his own and was in a non-contact jersey while skating ahead of Thursday's optional skate.
Along with TVR, Joel Edmundson (hand) will not be on the upcoming road trip and is still progressing, though he is getting closer to getting back into full practices with the team.
The Capitals play the New Jersey Devils on Friday before heading to Long Island for a meeting with the Islanders on Saturday. After that, they will enjoy a two-day break before returning home for a tilt with the Vegas Golden Knights.