The Washington Capitals made a flurry of roster moves Wednesday, placing center Nic Dowd on injured reserve, sending 19-year-old Hendrix Lapierre back to his junior team and calling up goaltender Zach Fucale and center Aliaksei Protas from their American Hockey League affiliate.

Dowd was hurt Monday in the second period of Washington’s win over Buffalo. He left the game with a lower-body injury and did not return. Dowd recently had missed three games as he battled a lower-body injury.

Capitals Coach Peter Laviolette said Wednesday that Dowd’s current injury is not related to his previous one.

“He is going to be a little bit,” Laviolette said. “I don’t think it is anything major. Hoping to see him back after IR.”

Dowd, who is eligible to come off injured reserve for Washington’s game Tuesday at Anaheim, is among a number of ailing Capitals. Center Nicklas Backstrom remains on long-term injured reserve with a hip injury and has yet to practice with the team. Anthony Mantha is out indefinitely after having shoulder surgery last week, and fellow winger T.J. Oshie remains in a walking boot after blocking a shot with his right foot in late October.

Advertisement

There also are minor injury questions in net. Laviolette said Washington brought up Fucale, 26, for precautionary reasons; Vitek Vanecek was involved in a collision in the final moments Monday night but finished the game. Vanecek was a full participant at Wednesday’s practice, and Laviolette said Washington is assessing his situation.

Fucale was 3-0-2 with a .933 save percentage and a 1.73 goals against average for the AHL’s Hershey Bears. He has yet to make his NHL debut.

“I feel like the last few years have been trending in the right direction and I got a good thing going and I’m just sticking to my game,” Fucale said. “Things are working well right now.”

Laviolette said all three of his goalies — Vanecek, Fucale and Ilya Samsonov — will travel to Detroit and Columbus. Those back-to-back contests Thursday and Friday start a stretch of seven games in 11 days.

Advertisement

The Capitals’ veterans have been playing more and more minutes as injuries take a toll. Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov lead the forwards in average ice time at 21:46 and 21:33.

“The three back-to-backs in two weeks is tough, so we’ll just wake up every day and just manage that day to do our best to be successful,” Laviolette said. “It is what it is.”

Lapierre was sent back to Acadie-Bathurst of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He played in six games and had one point: a goal in the season opener, which was his NHL debut. He averaged 9:35 of ice time.

“We’re really, really happy with him and what he did and what he was able to do, and we think it’s good that he goes back now and he plays and gets a ton of confidence and a ton of ice time and continues to develop,” Laviolette said.

Because the Capitals returned Lapierre to his junior team before he played 10 NHL games, Washington will not burn the first year of his entry-level contract. Lapierre is still eligible to play for the Capitals this season if they need an emergency call-up, and he is allowed to suit up for Washington or Hershey in the postseason.

Laviolette praised the rookie for his efforts but acknowledged that the jump to the NHL isn’t easy.

“It is a lot for a young player to handle,” Laviolette said. “... We sent him back to juniors where he can play against his peers, and who knows what happens from here?”

After Wednesday’s moves, the Capitals do not have any extra forwards on the roster.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMCxu9GtqmhqYGd%2BcH2QaGhpZ5OWvarAwKWqZqqfqMGmvoympq%2Bdo2K7qq%2BMnaawnF8%3D