Spencer Carbery explains Capitals’ demotion of Ivan Miroshnichenko: ‘We have big expectations for him. We want to make sure he’s developing.’

The Washington Capitals sent Ivan Miroshnichenko down to the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Friday morning, recalling Ethen Frank in his place. The move back to the minors comes after Miroshnichenko spent a nearly two-month spell in the NHL beginning on November 20, just days after Alex Ovechkin broke his leg in Utah.

Miroshnichenko has played 18 games this season for Washington and recorded four points (1g, 3a). However, he has not scored a point in his last 12 games and has had his ice time reduced, averaging just 8:35 in his last five games. Head coach Spencer Carbery cited that low ice time as one of the primary reasons the Capitals opted to return the 20-year-old winger to Hershey.

“The decision of now, we just felt like as an organization with Miro starting to be in and out of the lineup a little bit, his minutes diminishing,” Carbery said. “We just want to be careful with that becoming a common theme of him only playing nine minutes a night and sparingly in and out of the lineup.

“We have big expectations for him in the organization, so we want to make sure that he’s developing and getting the necessary minutes, playing time, situational playing time, puck touches, scoring chances, shots on goal, all that type of stuff in game action. And that was starting to diminish a little bit, so we felt like it was the appropriate time to make that flip with Frank getting an opportunity.”

Miroshnichenko has played more than 10 minutes in a game just six times this season and played less than nine minutes eight times. His single-game, season-low in ice time, 5:34 against the Boston Bruins on December 23, came a day after Carbery benched him for a poor shift that led to a penalty and eventual goal for the Los Angeles Kings.

Ice time concerns also led to Hendrix Lapierre’s recent demotion to the Bears, with the Capitals hoping more AHL playing time would help Lapierre get out of an early-season rut. Lapierre has played top-line minutes in his three games since returning to Hershey.

Miroshnichenko traveled and could play for Hershey as soon as tonight against the Charlotte Checkers. Friday night’s game is the first of the Bears’ road back-to-back against Charlotte.

Miroshnichenko was one of Hershey’s top-performing players when the Capitals recalled him in November. The Russian forward has 14 points (7g, 7a) in 16 games in the AHL this year after posting 25 points (9g, 16a) in 47 games with the Bears last year.