Rasmus Sandin skates full practice as Capitals recall Holl

Monday's injury news actually started with Vincent Desharnais, who was out on the ice before practice even began.

Sammi Silber 🏒

@sammisilber

Huge for the Caps: Vincent Desharnais took the ice before practice in a non-contact jersey t.co/XAGOOfv4V2

Desharnais is coming back from an appendectomy, so a short solo skate in a non-contact jersey counts as progress. Sandin had the bigger day. He's in his 7th month back from a torn ACL, which he suffered on April 11 against Pittsburgh. Washington's original estimate was 6 to 9 months, so a return could come anywhere from late October to late January. He first joined team practice at the end of October in a light blue no-contact jersey, doing light drills. On Monday he stayed out for all of practice.

Tarik El-Bashir

@Tarik_ElBashir

Sandin (no contact jersey) skated for the entire practice and even stayed on for extra work. Seems he’s ramping up. #ALLCAPS

He even stayed on for extra work after practice ended. That's what a guy ramping up does, not someone just getting his legs under him. Spencer Carbery wasn't giving out a date, but he sounded about as upbeat as a coach can get about 2 players who still aren't fully cleared.

Tarik El-Bashir

@Tarik_ElBashir

INJURY UPDATES: Desharnais (appendectomy) skated briefly before practice Monday and Sandin (ACL), for the first time, skated for the entire practice in a no-contact jersey. Additionally, Sandin will accompany the #ALLCAPS on the road trip. “They’re around the corner,” Coach Carbery said. “Small baby steps. They’re getting closer and closer and closer.”

"Small baby steps" is a long way from "he's playing Thursday," and that's fair. According to Carbery, the next step is Sandin switching to a regular jersey and Desharnais getting into a full practice. Sandin is traveling with the team on the 2-game trip to Ottawa and New Jersey but won't play. Desharnais is staying home to keep working on his recovery. Bringing Sandin along keeps him around the group and on a normal practice routine, which is exactly where you want a guy who's getting close.

For now, Washington needed another healthy body on the blue line. Monday's lines had Chychrun-Roy, Fehervary-Liljegren and Hutson-St. Ivany as the 3 pairs, with Sandin listed as the extra in his no-contact jersey. With Desharnais staying back too, the beat writers figured a recall was coming before the team got on the plane, and it showed up a couple of hours later.

Tarik El-Bashir

@Tarik_ElBashir

Defenseman Justin Holl has been from AHL Hershey. The veteran gives the #ALLCAPS 7 Ds for the road trip to OTT and NJD.

Holl has done this before. Washington called the 34-year-old up from Hershey on October 12, when Matt Roy went on IR and Sandin went on LTIR. He brings over 400 games of NHL experience from Toronto, Detroit and St. Louis, which is what you want from a 7th D who probably won't play. Once Sandin gets a regular jersey, the conversation changes. A healthy Sandin and a healthy Desharnais give Carbery real lineup decisions on the back end. That's the thing to watch after Ottawa and New Jersey.