Capitals’ Pierre-Luc Dubois returns to lineup after 47 game absence
The Washington Capitals are getting a boost to their lineup right before the Olympic break, as center Pierre-Luc Dubois is set to return to the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Nashville Predators.
Dubie's back, tell a friend‼️ #ALLCAPS
Dubois had missed the last 47 games due to an abdomen injury he sustained in a 3-1 loss to the New York Islanders on October 31st. He had taken a cross-check to the leg during the game and needed assistance getting to the bench.
The injury was originally labelled as lower-body, but then it was announced about a week later that Dubois required surgery on his abdomen, and would miss 3-4 months of hockey. With Dubois’ return today, his absence comes in at just over three months, so it’s right on schedule if not slightly ahead.
Dubois had also missed an additional five games prior to that season with a lower-body injury, which has held his season to just six games so far. In those six games, he has been held scoreless. He’s coming off of a career year which saw him produce 20 goals, 46 assists and 66 points in 82 games with the Capitals, although he already saw some regression in the playoffs with only three assists in 10 games.
At this point in time, where Dubois will slot into the lineup is not known. His most common linemates this season are Aliaksei Protas and Tom Wilson, but they’ve clicked well with Justin Sourdif as their centerman, so it’s possible that Dubois will end up somewhere else in the lineup, possibly on the third line between Ryan Leonard and Ethen Frank.
Sonny Milano is day-to-day, per Carbery. Personal. He won’t play tonight vs. the Predators.
However, who Dubois replaces in the lineup is a much easier guess, as Sonny Milano is out of the lineup for personal reasons, and is considered day-to-day, so Dubois will likely replace him for Thursday’s game. Milano has four goals and four assists for eight points in 31 games.
Dubois will need to be activated off of injured reserve to return to the lineup, but the Capitals have the roster space to do so after Bogdan Trineyev was reassigned to the Hershey Bears on Wednesday.
The Capitals currently sit in fifth in the Metropolitan Division with a 28-23-7 record, and are six points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, although Boston has one game in hand. Washington will look to go into the Olympic break on a high note when they host the Predators on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.