The Washington Capitals have re-assigned defenseman Connor Carrick and forward Paul Carey to their American Hockey League affiliate, the team announced Monday.
The return of both players is an encouraging sign about the progressing health of defenseman Brooks Orpik and center Marcus Johansson. Orpik has missed 37 games with a lower-body bone injury, and Johansson has been out the four games since the all-star break with an upper-body injury.
Johansson and Orpik are traveling with the Capitals on their three-game road trip to Nashville, Minnesota and Dallas, and after the team re-assigned Carrick and Carey, that leaves the team with six healthy defensemen (since Orpik is on injured reserve) and just one extra forward, including Johansson.