Washington Capitals center Connor McMichael (illness) appears ready to re-enter the lineup on Saturday versus Tampa Bay. Following a bout with an illness, McMichael has returned to practice and is projected to skate on a line with Anthony Mantha and Aliaksei Protas. He was unavailable for the past two games. The 22-year-old has had a decent campaign with 13 points (six goals, seven assists) collected in 28 contests. He's done all of his scoring in even-strength situations. Only Protas (15) and Tom Wilson (14) have posted more even-strength points with the Capitals in 2023-24.
Connor McMichael Set To Start Season On Second Line
Washington Capitals forward Connor McMichael is poised to open the season on the second line. The former first-round pick has worked with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson in practice and should remain on the left wing of the line in Friday's matchup against Pittsburgh. McMichael made his NHL debut all the way back in 2020-21, but he's been pretty slow in his development and hasn't yet seen much success on the big stage. In 75 career appearances, the 22-year-old has produced nine goals and nine assists in the NHL. However, McMichael now finds himself in a very good position to make an impact.
Connor McMichael Gets A Chance To Impress In Top-Six Role
Washington Capitals center Connor McMichael is set to get an opportunity on the second line in Monday's meeting with the Senators. The 20-year-old enters the lineup alongside Hendrix Lapierre. Nic Dowd (lower body) will miss the matchup and is day-to-day. McMichael was Washington's first-round pick in the 2019 draft, and he's slowly started to make his way into Peter Laviolette's plans this season, appearing in three games. He's gone pointless so far but has fired off nine shots and looks to be in a great spot to perform with Anthony Mantha and T.J. Oshie lining up alongside him.
