The Caps have sent defenseman Karl Alzner back to AHL Hershey. The team was carrying eight defenseman, but Brian Pothier is ready to return from a rib injury. Alzner, 21, has appeared in 14 games during two stints with the Caps this season. He has endured the ups-and-downs common to young players and is a -2. Tuesday night against Montreal he played 12 minutes, 2 seconds – only John Erskine saw less ice time. He had one giveaway and nothing else – no hits, not shots, no blocks, no takeaways. Last Saturday in Los Angeles was a similar story. Alzner played 13:01 and had just one takeaway. That might be too passive a game for coach Bruce Boudreau, who doesn’t see much point in limiting Alzner’s ice time when he could play well over 20 per night at Hershey with fellow top prospect John Carlson. Alzner, the fifth overall pick in the 2007 NHL draft, is a +13 at Hersheyand has a goal and three assists.
Pothier went on injured reserve on Dec. 11 with the rib injury. He last played Dec. 9 against Buffalo. His return gives Boudreau a right-handed defenseman who has been the team’s second-best offensive threat on the blueline behind Mike Green. Pothier has three goals and five assists so far this season and is a +11. He also stabilizes the second power-play unit.
