Caps place Fehervary on IR, recall goalie Hunter Shepard originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Capitals have placed defenseman Martin Fehervary on Injured Reserve, according to the team roster on the NHL media site. After exiting Saturday’s loss to the Calgary Flames with an upper-body injury, he will miss at least three games before being eligible to return for Sunday’s matchup against the Winnipeg Jets.
Fehervary, 23, has appeared in all 26 of the Capitals’ games so far this season, ranking second on the team in hits (83) and fourth in blocks (39). He scored his first two goals of the season in back-to-back games heading into play Saturday before taking a hit by Flames winger Milan Lucic along the boards during the second period. Fehervary immediately grabbed his left arm and went straight to the tunnel.
Washington also announced Monday that it recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard from its AHL affiliate Hershey Bears. Starting goalie Darcy Kuemper left the game in Calgary with an upper-body injury too but remains on the 23-man roster ahead of Monday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. He’s listed as day-to-day.
For as long as Kuemper is out, backup Charlie Lindgren will be the Capitals’ top option in net. Lindgren has appeared in eight games with six starts this season, posting 2-3-2 record with a .890 save percentage and 3.51 goals against average. Shepard, who was just named AHL Goalie of the Month for November, has never played in an NHL game.
Fehervary is the 10th player the Capitals have placed on IR this season. According to the Washington Post’s Samantha Pell, defenseman Dmitry Orlov won’t be ready to return off IR in Edmonton. Though that will mark his 13th game missed, Orlov traveled to meet up with the Capitals during their ongoing six-game road trip. He’s eligible to return at any time.