- Elliotte Friedman says multiple NHL teams are watching Capitals winger Ivan Miroshnichenko
- Miroshnichenko scored in his season debut Wednesday against the Canadiens
- Read below for why Washington may not be able to hide him in the minors
Other NHL teams have noticed Ivan Miroshnichenko, and they are not being shy about it.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast that a source told him a bunch of clubs are keeping tabs on the 22-year-old Capitals winger. The interest comes down to one thing. Teams think Miroshnichenko can play in this league.
Friedman talked about how a player stuck out of the lineup can get himself noticed, and he said Miroshnichenko is doing exactly that.
“He’s good enough to play in this league,” Friedman said. “And the reason he hasn’t played so far is that the Capitals are so deep. But I heard, and this guy told me, there’s a bunch of teams watching him because they think he can play.”
Miroshnichenko dressed against the Canadiens on Wednesday because Pierre-Luc Dubois is dealing with an illness. He scored Washington’s second goal of the night. Watch the Capitals’ video of it:
He also finished with two drawn penalties, a hit and a shot block in 10:01 of ice time.
The hit came on Juraj Slafkovsky in open ice, and the Habs took exception to it. Miroshnichenko was originally given a major, but the call came off the board after a video review. Here’s another look at the hit:
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery singled him out after the game. “Hell of a job, Miro,” Carbery said in his postgame media availability. Washington went on to win 5-4 over Montreal.
The bigger issue for the Capitals is roster math. Miroshnichenko signed a two-year, $1.85 million extension last October and made the team out of camp. He is no longer waivers-exempt, so sending him back to Hershey means every other team gets a shot at claiming him.
Friedman made the same point. “If the Capitals can’t find room for him, you’ve got to put him through waivers, right?”
Washington took Miroshnichenko 20th overall in 2022. He has 14 points in 53 career NHL games and spent most of the last three years in the AHL, where he put up 101 points in 141 games for the Bears.
The Capitals play New Jersey on Saturday afternoon. If Miroshnichenko draws in again, he won’t be the only one watching.
