Logan Thompson, Jakob Chychrun leave Caps practice early

The morning actually started with good news. Thompson was back on the ice, and so was Washington's new waiver pickup on defense.

Tarik El-Bashir

@Tarik_ElBashir

A couple of #ALLCAPS updates from practice: —Logan Thompson (lower body injury) has returned to practice —Newly acquired D Jack St. Ivany is on the ice and wearing No. 29

Tarik El-Bashir

@Tarik_ElBashir

The #ALLCAPS are breaking in their ‘Hometown Remix’ gear during today’s practice… t.co/xQ68ey9hvo

That good news didn't hold up. Thompson has been banged up since last Tuesday against the Kings, when he made a point-blank save on Artemi Panarin early in the 2nd period and spent the rest of regulation stretching out his left leg. He missed the next 2 practices, was listed day-to-day and sat out Saturday's game against Buffalo. So 45 minutes is no small detail. He got far enough to look like he was ready, then didn't finish.

While that was happening the blue line took a hit too. Chychrun left the session early, and by the time practice wrapped he still hadn't come back. Nobody has said what's wrong with him yet. The beat said they'd ask after practice.

Tarik El-Bashir

@Tarik_ElBashir

#ALLCAPS Dman Jakob Chychrun left practice and has not returned. We’ll ask for an update afterward.

The lines didn't change, and they show how thin things are getting. Chychrun was listed with Roy, with McIlrath ready to fill that spot. Jack St. Ivany was on the 3rd pair with Hutson, wearing No. 29. Washington claimed the 27-year-old off waivers from Winnipeg on Saturday. He has 57 career NHL games and 9 points, and the Caps grabbed him for his size and his willingness to block shots, not for offense. If Chychrun misses time, St. Ivany suddenly matters a lot more than a waiver depth piece usually does.

Sammi Silber 🏒

@sammisilber

Caps lines the same: Ovechkin-I. Protas-Beauvillier Tuch-Strome-Kyrou A. Protas-Dubois-Wilson Jenner-Sourdif-Leonard Chychrun (left early)/McIlrath-Roy Fehervary-Liljegren Hutson-St. Ivany Thompson Lindgren Gibson

In net, the next man up is still Charlie Lindgren. Mitch Gibson came up from Hershey to back him up, because the Caps lost Clay Stevenson to Winnipeg on waivers and Thompson's injury left them with almost no goalie depth. Thompson wasn't playing his best before he got hurt either: 4-3-0 with a 2.90 GAA and a.901 save percentage. Still, he's the starter, and Washington doesn't have another goalie it would rather lean on for long.

What to watch next: whatever the team says after practice about both guys, and whether Thompson makes it through a full skate before the Caps play back-to-back games against Philadelphia and Nashville. If Thompson is shut down again and Chychrun turns into a multi-game absence, Spencer Carbery is down his No. 1 goalie and a top-4 defenseman at the same time.