Capitals Place Ethan Bear and Michael Sgarbossa on Waivers

Following Washington Capitals practice on Friday, it was announced that defenseman Ethan Bear and forward Michael Sgarbossa were placed on waivers. Bear signed a two-year contract with the Capitals on December 28, 2023. He played part of the 2023-24 season with the team but missed some time as he received care from the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. Bear played in 24 games, scoring a goal and accruing three assists for four points.

Sgarbossa, meanwhile, split the 2023-24 campaign between Washington and the Hershey Bears. He suited up for 25 games with the Capitals and produced seven points (four goals and three assists). While in Hershey, Sgarbossa scored seven goals and provided 36 assists for 43 points in 44 games. He was a member of the Bears’ Calder Cup-winning team in 2023. He played four games during that postseason run and scored a goal while tallying two assists.

Dylan McIlrath Still on Capitals Roster after Ethan Bear Move

With Ethan Bear on waivers, Dylan McIlrath is closer to making the final 23-man roster for Washington. He has been impressive during training camp and the preseason. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said this recently about McIlrath when asked if he is in the mix to be on the blue line for the club: “He definitely is, and based on what he did last year for us, when he played, and based on his training camp, and based on what he’s done in Hershey, and all the intangibles…he probably said it best to me earlier in camp. He feels like his game individually…he feels like he’s just gotten better and better and better as he’s gotten older, which is a great quality…He feels like he’s a better defenseman than he was when he started.”

Vrana and Cristall Move Closer to Making Capitals

Waiving Michael Sgarbossa continues the decisions Washington needs to make at forward as well. Two names who are still pushing to make the 23-skater lineup are Jakub Vrana and Andrew Cristall. Vrana is still on his PTO with the club. He could find himself a deal soon by Capitals GM Chris Patrick, or he might be one of the final cuts. He and Cristall have both made strong pushes to make the final NHL roster. Cristall has become an offensive juggernaut in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Kelowna Rockets. He accumulated the following stats during his four seasons there:

• 2020-21: two goals and three assists for five points in 14 games
• 2021-22: 28 goals and 41 assists for 69 points in 61 games
• 2022-23: 39 goals and 56 assists for 95 points in 54 games
• 2023-24: 40 goals and 71 assists for 111 points in 62 games

Andrew Cristall, shown here with the Kelowna Rockets, is fighting for one of the Washington Capitals’ forward spots ahead of the 2024-25 NHL season. (Steve Dunsmoor/Kelowna Rockets)

The Capitals play their last preseason game tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. in Capital One Arena against the Boston Bruins. The team then begins their 2024-25 campaign against the New Jersey Devils at home on Saturday, October 12 at 7:00 p.m. The next few days are going to be interesting to see how the rest of the Capitals roster molds into form. It will not be much longer before Washington fans know the full look of their team.