Capitals place backup goalie on IR, recall defenseman

The Washington Capitals placed goaltender Charlie Lindgren on injured reserve, recalling defenseman Hardy Häman Aktell in his place. This move likely cements Clay Stevenson as the team’s backup while Lindgren is out. Stevenson was recalled to the NHL on October 16th, in response to Lindgren being announced as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Washington hasn’t turned to Stevenson yet, although he’ll be making his NHL debut when he’s able to slot into the lineup.

Despite being moved to injured reserve, there has been no formal update on what is holding Lindgren out. The 29-year-old goaltender left the Capitals’ Monday practice just a few minutes into the skate, after facing the Penguins a few days before. The ambiguity around his ailment makes it hard to project just how long Lindgren will be out, although his injured reserve designation means he’ll miss at least a week of play. Lindgren is in his second season with the Capitals, appearing in starting 26 games and appearing in 31 over the course of last season. He recorded a 26-13-11 record in those appearances, tallying a .899 save percentage and 3.05 goals-against-average as well.

Hardy Häman Aktell could be in line for his NHL debut with this recall. The 25-year-old defenseman has appeared in two games with the AHL’s Hershey Bears this season, scoring one goal. This season represents his first in North America, after spending each of the last three seasons with the Växjö Lakers of the SHL. He capped off this stretch with 36 points in 51 SHL games last year.