Out all season with a serious wrist injury, Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov could finally be back in action this week for AHL Hershey.
From CSN Washington:
Capitals coach Barry Trotz said the plan is for Orlov to play for the Bears on Friday, Sunday and next Wednesday, then return to the Caps for their final five games.
Orlov is hoping to play games in the NHL this season, but concedes he’s still just “90 percent maybe,” even after an arduous rehab program.
“It’s been tough for me, a grind,” he said. “There are times I want to say, ‘I’m done.’ It’s hard to be all the time positive. ... But my parents and girlfriend tell me this is a negative time of your life and you need to keep away from this and be positive. They help keep my mind to be good.”
The Caps currently have seven d-men on the active roster. If Orlov is able to play upon his return from the AHL, assuming there have been no new injuries, both Nate Schmidt and Tim Gleason would likely be left out of the lineup, leaving potential pairings of Brooks Orpik with John Carlson, Karl Alzner with Matt Niskanen, and Orlov with Mike Green.
CSN Washington reports that the Caps, due to salary-cap constraints, “likely will return Schmidt to the Bears on Tuesday.”
