It's been an up-and-down season for Washington Capitals center Mike Sgarbossa so far — literally. Up to the NHL one day. Down to the AHL the next. And so on.
After starting the season with the AHL's Hershey Bears, Sgarbossa, who finished out last year in Washington, was called up on Oct. 28 and slotted in on Oct. 29 and 31 in place of a struggling Hendrix Lapierre, who got a couple of games off as a healthy scratch, as Matt Roy headed to the injured reserve.
After Roy's return, Sgarbossa returned back to Hershey, but ultimately, was brought back up amid more injuries. And now, with Sonny Milano on the IR, Sgarbossa's here to stay for now.
Such is life for a hockey journeyman like Sgarbossa.
The 32-year-old undrafted center from Campbellville, Ontario has spent parts of seven seasons now with the Capitals organization.
While never an NHL mainstay, he has made a career — like many hockey players have done — by helping create a strong supporting cast, a significant role that can't be denied.
In seven games with Hershey this season, Sgarbossa has netted one goal and eight assists. Up with Washington, he has a goal and an assist in three games.
While he can be counted on to be roughly a point-per-game player in the AHL, Sgarbossa has amassed 25 points in 93 games in the NHL spread over 12 years; the most games he's played in a season was 29 in 2016-17 with the Florida Panthers, and he managed 25 over the course of last season with the Capitals.
Yet, the impact players like Sgarbossa have on the league cannot be underestimated.
The depth and grit Sgarbossa adds to the Capitals' third line is an important piece to the puzzle. His presence with the Capitals gives Spencer Carbery flexibility to sit struggling players or bolster the bottom-6 when injuries begin to add up over the course of the season.
And of course, at the AHL, he is the kind of player who helps promote a winning culture while mentoring younger players still developing in the minors.
Ultimately, it's his reliability, as well as his work ethic, consistency and 200-foot game, that make him a huge asset for D.C.
