The Washington Capitals took to the ice for their morning skating in Winnipeg on a very busy Sunday morning. Niklas Backstrom When Tom Wilson Two veteran forwards traveled with the team for the first time this season.
The two team leaders have stepped up their skating in recent days as they continue to recover from offseason surgeries. Wilson practiced with the team for the first time this season on Friday. Both players did some work at the team’s practice facility on the Saturday before this road trip.
John Walton, the Washington Capitals’ great radio voice, posted a photo of the two on the ice inside the Canada Life Center.
Both are non-contact blues, but Nick Backstrom and Tom Wilson are skating in the morning here in Winnipeg. pic.twitter.com/eFo9UpTKtZ
— John Walton (@JohnWaltonPxP) December 11, 2022
Wilson has more and more trucks around the team, according to what Capitals general manager Brian McClellan said in a recent interview.
“Tom is fine,” said McClellan. “I don’t know the exact date. We’ll have a better picture in the next few weeks. Mid-December, we’ll have a pretty good idea. Then we can be more certain about that.” .”
The stout winger underwent surgery to repair the ACL on his left knee this summer. His good buddy Backstrom may still have a little way to go after undergoing major surgery of his own (hip resurfacing) over the summer.
“Yeah, (Backstrom’s) is doing well,” said MacLellan. “There have been no setbacks, so I am positive.
“He says he’s feeling great and his rehab is going well,” he continued. “I don’t know if it’s been tested, but I’d love to see him in practice. [take] contact. It will come in the next little bit, I hope. ”
Caps head coach Peter LaViolette was happy to comment Friday on Backstrom and Wilson’s return to the team on a more regular basis.
“They’re here now. It’s a good thing,” said Laviolette. “This is the next step. It’s the next step in progress, so it’s really good that they’re there.
“Seeing the return of a player who has made a huge impact on the team is definitely a morale booster,” he continued. “They are working to put themselves in a position where they can come back and help the team.”
The Caps will be on a mini two-game road trip against the Jets on Sunday night and the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night. Neither Backstrom nor Wilson will be drawn into the lineup in either game, but their trip shows that the skyrocketing caps could get backup sooner or later.
Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB
