Capitals’ Dubois, Sourdif to return against Sabres

A couple of players are back to full health and ready to play.

When speaking to the media, Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery announced that forwards Pierre-Luc Dubois and Justin Sourdif are set to return to the lineup on Saturday night, when the Capitals host the Buffalo Sabres.

Both players have missed time due to illness, Dubois more so than Sourdif. The 28-year-old has been inactive since Washington’s 3-1 win over the New York Rangers on Oct. 9, with the veteran center being placed on injured reserve last weekend to make room on the roster. In the five games Dubois has missed, the Capitals have struggled, going 2-3-0 during that span.

Dubois has had a strong start to the young season after an injury-riddled 2025-26 campaign that saw him score just 19 points in 29 contests. He is part of a resurging Capitals team that looks to challenge for first place in the Metropolitan Division this year and be considered the top team in the Eastern Conference. In four games so far, the 28-year-old has posted a goal and four points, with a +4 plus/minus while averaging 17:06.

Sourdif has missed just the last two games due to illness, which saw Washington beat the New Jersey Devils last Saturday, before falling to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. The 24-year-old had appeared in each of the Caps’ first seven games of the year, scoring a goal back on Oct. 3 in a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sourdif also has a plus/minus of -2 while averaging 13:24 of ice time per game.

Puck drop between the Capitals (5-4-0) and Sabres is set for a little after 7 p.m. ET.