Alex Ovechkin saw his red-hot start to the 2024-25 season halted by an unfortunate injury on Monday night. The 39-year-old winger clashed legs with Utah HC’s Jack McBain and was listed week-to-week with a lower leg injury by the Capitals on Tuesday afternoon.
Ovechkin’s extended absence leaves the Capitals with a roster decision to make heading into a hectic end of November. Starting Thursday, the team will play at least one game every other day for the rest of the month, finishing with a weekend back-to-back against the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils.
Washington currently has $1.42 million in cap space, so even if Ovechkin does not end up on long-term injured reserve, they can still easily fill his roster spot if he is placed on regular IR. The Capitals have several options to consider when looking at the depth of their organization on the AHL’s Hershey Bears, and none of them make over $950k in the NHL.
Ivan Miroshnichenko
The most natural replacement for Alex Ovechkin on Hershey’s roster is Ivan Miroshnichenko, Ovechkin’s pupil for much of last year. Miroshnichenko mirrors Ovechkin in many ways, including being a right-shot left winger and often firing one-time blasts from Ovechkin’s office in the left faceoff circle.
The 20-year-old winger, one of Washington’s final training camp cuts, is already familiar with Spencer Carbery’s system as he played in his first 21 NHL games last season with the Capitals. Miroshnichenko skated 12:08 of ice time per game and recorded his first six NHL points (2g, 4a). He also dressed for one of Washington’s four postseason games against the New York Rangers.
Miroshnichenko is out to his own hot start in the AHL, ranking second on the Bears in scoring with 14 points (7g, 7a) through 16 games. The young Russian has the fourth-most points among all under-22-year-old skaters in the league. He is still waivers exempt due to being on his entry-level contract.
Carbery mentioned preseason that the Capitals want to see Miroshnichenko become a 25-30 goal scorer. He is set to do just that this year in Hershey, on pace for 31 goals over the full 72-game AHL slate.
Ethen Frank
Ethen Frank leads the Bears in scoring with 15 points (11g, 4a) through 16 games. The 26-year-old winger was the leading goal scorer for Hershey during their back-to-back championship years in 2023 and 2024 and has only picked up where he left off this season. He ranks second in the AHL in goals.
Despite that production level and signing two NHL deals with the Capitals, Frank has yet to debut in the big leagues. He was internally considered for an NHL recall last season but got hurt midway through the year, seeing the call-up go instead to Pierrick Dubé.
He followed that disappointment up with an incredible postseason, finishing behind just Hendrix Lapierre (22) and Joe Snively (18) for the Bears’ lead in playoff scoring after posting 17 points (10g, 7a).
Frank struggled through the most recent NHL preseason, and Washington eventually placed him on waivers to send him back to the AHL. Unlike Miroshnichenko, Frank is a natural right wing, but Ovechkin has played both sides for Carbery this season. Frank is also Hershey’s primary weapon from Ovechkin’s office on their power play.
Pierrick Dubé
The Capitals gave the French-born Pierrick Dubé his first three NHL games last season. Dubé skated just 9:19 of ice time per game, including just 4:33 in his NHL debut against the Florida Panthers. He did not get on the scoresheet in any of his three games.
Dubé was on fire to start the year with Hershey last season, ultimately finishing second on the team in goals (28) and chipping in 10 points in 17 games (7g, 3a) in the playoffs. He has had a quieter start this season but has picked up the scoring pace recently, tallying five points (1g, 4a) in his last four games.
The 23-year-old right-winger provides a little more bite to his game than Miroshnichenko and Frank, as shown by his Gordie Howe hat trick during Hershey’s preseason. Dubé has 10 points (3g, 7a) in 16 games this year.
Like Miroshnichenko, Dubé is waivers exempt.
Mike Sgarbossa
Washington has already recalled Mike Sgarbossa in an injury pinch twice this season. Sgarbossa most recently returned to the Bears after the Capitals acquired Lars Eller from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
While Washington has primarily deployed Sgarbossa as a center, he has prior pro experience on the left wing. The 32-year-old forward would provide a veteran option for Carbery and the Capitals, already having played 93 career NHL games.
Sgarbossa has dressed in three games this season for the Caps, recording two points (1g, 1a) against the St. Louis Blues in his last outing. He is the lone Hershey regular averaging a point per game this year, notching nine points (1g, 8a) in nine games.
The Capitals already sent Sgarbossa through waivers after the preseason, so he will not need to go through them again if he doesn’t play seven more games for Washington or spend 30 cumulative days on the NHL roster.
Washington will likely gain more clarity on the extent of Ovechkin’s injury when the team’s medical personnel fully evaluate him at practice on Wednesday. The Capitals are currently carrying just one extra forward on their roster, Hendrix Lapierre.
The Capitals’ next game is against the Colorado Avalanche at home on Thursday night.
