Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Buffalo Sabres wingers Beck Malenstyn and Nic Aube-Kubel will both be returning to Washington for the first time on Saturday after playing for the Capitals last season.
Malenstyn was a fifth-round pick by the Caps in the 2016 NHL Draft. Since the 2018-19 season, the winger played 105 games with the Capitals and 225 games with the Hershey Bears, where he won a Calder Cup over the Rochester Americans.
Malenstyn says he was treated well in the Capitals organization, and is looking forward to going back.
"It’s going to be a little bit different, but I’ve spent a lot of time with those guys over the start of my career. But I’m really looking forward to it. It was a fun place to play with a lot of good memories there, and I’m excited to come in there as a road team," said Malenstyn following Friday's practice.
"From being drafted there and working my way up through the American League, nothing but great things to say about the entire organization. They treated me extremely well, it was a great place to be, and I have a lot of fond memories from here and in Hershey."
Aube-Kubel spent two years and 107 games with the Capitals. He only played 11 games with Hershey.
"It’s always special. I love the part of hockey where you go around and make long-life friends, but when it comes down to play, I feel like on the ice, there’s less of that. It’s more of a competition, and you can show your old team what you can do," said Aube-Kubel on Friday.
Aube-Kubel is no stranger to going back to the cities he’s played in. He played 102 games with the team that drafted him, the Philadelphia Flyers, as well as 67 with the Colorado Avalanche, where he won the Stanley Cup, and six games with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
After practice on Friday, head coach Lindy Ruff gave some injury updates to players on his roster. Winger Jordan Greenway and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin weren’t practicing, while winger Sam Lafferty returned to practice after missing six games.
As far as the captain goes, Ruff says Dahlin, once again, skated on his own, and continues to progress while dealing with his back spasms.
Dahlin has been watching practices from the bench, and Ruff says he’s been around.
"He was in yesterday, and we had a long conversation about the team. He’s 100% invested in what’s going on, it’s not like he’s injured and sitting on the outside. I think it’s killing him, like it’s killing everyone else," said Ruff after Friday's skate.
As for Greenway, Ruff says he missed practice due to soreness from his previous injury. He’s questionable for Saturday’s game.
Meanwhile, Lafferty is a possibility to play, at some point, this weekend.
FRIDAY LINES:
Forwards:
Benson – Kulich – Cozens
Peterka – Thompson – Tuch
Zucker – McLeod – Quinn
Malenstyn – Krebs – Aube-Kubel (Lafferty)
Defense:
Power – Samuelsson
Bryson – Jokiharju
Gilbert – Clifton
Johnson – Byram