When the Hershey Bears kick off their first day of Training Camp, their captain will remain in Washington.
Dylan McIlrath has survived two rounds of cuts with the Washington Capitals and is now one of just 29 active players competing for a roster spot. After spending the bulk of his 12-year pro career in the AHL, the 32-year-old McIlrath is aiming for a spot on an NHL roster.
Head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters on Sunday that McIlrath was in the mix for a roster spot this season, highlighting what McIlrath saw as improvements in his game.
“He definitely is [competing for a spot],” Carbery said. “And based on what he did last year for us when he played, and based on his Training Camp and based on what he’s done in Hershey and all the intangibles: he probably said it best to me earlier in camp.
“He feels like his game individually — and I can’t really comment on this because I never coached him early in his career — but he feels like he’s just gotten better and better and better as he’s gotten older, which is a great quality. Usually you hit that ceiling or your prime at 25 and then you just kind of [plateau]; he feels like he’s a better defenseman than he was when he started.”
Drafted 10th overall by the New York Rangers in 2010, McIlrath has played just 75 NHL games in his career, with nine of those coming in a Capitals uniform. He’s established himself as a gritty, physical player something Carbery believes could serve him well in Washington.
“He’s a physical guy, will stand up for his teammates, has a presence about him,” he explained. “People around the league know who he is and have to be aware of him when he’s out on the ice.”
Carbery made a point to praise McIlrath’s off-ice talents, particularly his leadership skills. He has served as captain in Hershey for the last two seasons, leading the team to championships in 2023 and 2024.
“He’s such a great personality and person to be around,” Carbery said. “He’s a major reason why the Hershey Bears have had — they have a phenomenal team, phenomenal coaching staff, they do a great job there — he’s a huge reason why they continue to win and have won back-to-back Calder Cups. His presence in the locker room, how he interacts, how he leads a group, is pretty special.”
McIlrath played three games for Washington in the 2023-24 regular season, earning a key assist in the Capitals’ playoff-clinching win in Game 82 against the Philadelphia Flyers. He later drew in for all four of the team’s playoff games after a series of injuries. Still, he played limited minutes even when he made the lineup: his average time on ice of 10:18 ranked second-last among the team’s defensemen ahead of only Vincent Iorio. He has dressed for one preseason game so far this fall, playing on the third pair with Jake Massie in a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils.
After Washington bolstered its blue line this summer with the addition of Jakob Chychrun and Matt Roy, McIlrath will face stiff competition to earn a roster spot: McIlrath, Ethan Bear, and Alex Alexeyev will all fight to be Caps’ extra defensemen and none are waivers-exempt. Between that trio and forwards like Jakub Vrana, Ivan Miroshnichenko, and Andrew Cristall, the Capitals will have room for only three extra skaters when they submit their 23-man roster on October 7.
McIlrath will have a chance to prove himself on Monday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets as the Capitals play their penultimate game of the preseason.
