The Capitals will be welcoming back goalie Charlie Lindgren for their game tomorrow against San Jose as the team announced that they have activated him off injured reserve. To make room on the roster, netminder Hunter Shepard was assigned back to AHL Hershey.
Lindgren is in his second season as the backup goaltender in Washington behind Darcy Kuemper. The 29-year-old was a full-time NHL backup for the first time in 2022-23, playing in 31 games, more than the rest of his career combined. Lindgren fared relatively well in that role, posting a 3.05 GAA with a .899 SV%. This season, he has just one start under his belt where he allowed four goals on 35 shots. He’s expected to serve as the backup against the Sharks on Sunday.
As for Shepard, he made his NHL debut earlier this week against New Jersey, stopping 18 of 22 shots for his first career victory at the top level. The 27-year-old is in his fourth year in Washington’s system, spending the majority of that time at the AHL level. Shepard had a strong showing last year, putting together a 2.18 GAA with a .916 SV% in 33 games before putting up similar numbers in 20 playoff contests (2.27 GAA, .914 SV%), earning himself playoff MVP honors along the way.