More news and notes from Kettler Iceplex, where the Caps had a morning practice soon after making another round of roster cuts. In an earlier post we noted that defenseman Tyler Sloan and forwards Chris Bourque and Quintin Laing will be on the final roster – which must be submitted to the NHL by 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Left off? Center Keith Aucoin and forwards Alexandre Giroux and Brandon Sugden along with defenseman Karl Alzner, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2007 draft who joins fellow top prospect John Carlson at AHL Hershey. Sugden and Alzner did not have to clear waivers.
» No word yet on the status of center Michael Nylander, who is still with the team as of Monday afternoon. Whether that’s the case on Thursday remains to be seen. He didn’t play in a single preseason game and both sides want to find a solution before then. If not, Nylander, 36, becomes an expensive healthy scratch night after night.
» Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said that Brooks Laich will play on the second line with center Brendan Morrison and winger Alex Semin. Of course, Semin himself could still move up and play on the top line with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. But that promotion is still big news for Laich, who was effective on the third line in last season’s playoffs with teammates Matt Bradley and David Steckel. Laich scored a career-high 23 goals in 2008-09 after posting 21 the year before. He might top himself again if he gets to play all season on a line that skilled.
» Semin missed practice because he was “feeling under the weather,” according to Boudreau. Captain Chris Clark was given the day off. Both are expected back for Tuesday’s practice. That will take place at Verizon Center – and not at the Iceplex – because the team has a photo shoot scheduled along with a media luncheon in the afternoon.
» Forward Eric Fehr was cleared for full contact by team doctors. He had double shoulder surgery in the offseason and was limited during training camp. When will Fehr return for good? Not for the start of the season. But it won’t be long, either.
“I don’t know. Two weeks? Now that he can practice full out,” Boudreau said. “Today [Fehr] looked excited and skated well. We’ve got a date targeted, but I don’t want to say it.”
» Goalie Michal Neuvirth, 21, was at least putting a little pressure on fellow rookie Semyon Varlamov with his solid play in camp. But the undisclosed injury that kept him out of the final two preseason games will ultimately send Neuvirth to Hershey – once he’s healthy enough to play.
