Washington Capitals News

van Riemsdyk was sidelined by a concussion in the season opener and is expected to miss at least the next four games as the Hurricanes head out to western Canada. Look for Carolina to recall a defenseman from Charlotte (AHL) to serve as a seventh defenseman.

Wilson missed the first four games of the season because of a suspension he earned in the preseason. He will draw into the lineup on the third line with Lars Eller and Brett Conolly and comes into this season after posting 19 points (7G / 12A), 95 shots and 239 hits last year.

van Riemsdyk is in concussion protocol following his Hurricanes’ debut and will not play tonight. With van Riemsdky out, Klas Dahlbeck will draw in on the blueline and all three D-pairs will be shuffled around. Consider TvR as day-to-day.

Strome failed to record a point with three shots on goal while averaging 12:09 TOI in his first two games of the season. The Coyotes obviously feel that Strome has some things to work on, so he will head to Tucson to grow his game a bit. Mario Kempe was recalled to take Strome’s spot on the roster.

van Riemsdyk lasted just 10:56 TOI in his Hurricanes debut before departing the game with a lower-body ailment. The Hurricanes said T.V.R. will “likely” miss tomorrow’s game, so consider him day-to-day.

Chychrun underwent knee surgery in August and his season appeared to be in jeopardy. However, Chychrun is an athletic freak and is already close to getting back on the ice and it looks like he will return at some point this season. The second-year defenseman remains without a timetable for his return, but it’s great news that he is already ahead of schedule.

Wilson will miss the first four games of the regular season for boarding the Blues’ Sam Blais. This is not the ideal start to the season for the bruising winger, but it will likely give the Capitals a chance to take an extended look at Alex Chiasson.

Vecchione, 24, signed with the Flyers after posting 63 points (29G / 34A) in 38 games at Union College and should be a big part of the Flyers’ bottom-6 in 2017-18. He has shown the ability to score in college, but likely won’t be a big contributor in his first full NHL season.

McIlrath, 25, was acquired from the Panthers as a part of the Thomas Vanek trade and picked up four assists in 21 games with Grand Rapids (AHL) and another five assists in 19 playoff games in the Griffins Calder Cup run. McIlrath’s stock has fallen a long way since being drafted No.10 overall in 2010, but offers organizational depth and toughness at the AHL level.

In 2016-17, Oshie set a new career-high with 33 goals despite missing 14 games with a pair of upper-body injuries. Oshie tied for the team-lead in goals and ranked fifth in points (56), making it the fifth straight (full 82 game) season that he has topped 50 points. The American-born winger will turn 31-years-old in December, so the Capitals have him locked up at $5.75M per season until he is 39, which is quite an investment.

After being selected in the expansion draft yesterday, it was rumoured that van Riemsdyk could be on the move before Friday’s draft and Carolina is where he ends up. The 25-year right shot defenseman was limited to 58 games in 2016-17, but set a career-high with 16 points (5G / 11A). TVR is just scratching the surface offensively and should be a key member of an already talented Hurricanes’ blueline.