Washington Capitals: Lars Eller, T.J. Oshie and Michal Kempny continue making progress

Washington Capitals players continue to trickle back into Arlington for informal workouts ahead of the 2019-20 season.

In the cases Washington Capitals forwards Lars Eller and T.J. Oshie as well as defenseman Michal Kempny, each player looks to head into training camp fully healthy. The Capitals call MedStar Capitals Iceplex their home for practices and morning skates. Over the last few weeks, it’s served as the training base for summer workouts.

Lars Eller suffered a lower body injury at the tail end of the 2018-19 season. While Eller still played in all seven Stanley Cup playoff games, it was puzzling seeing him take maintenance days multiple times. Despite the nagging injury, Eller opted to play for Team Denmark in the IIHF World Championships.

Eller recorded four points in three games before withdrawing from the international tournament. There was a report that Eller had an agreement to play in just three games but Eller himself noted in an article by J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington that he decided to leave after his injury started to resurface.

Eller told Regan that since the tournament he’s been doing much better and he should be ready heading into training camp:

“I’m over that (lower-body injury). Taken good care of that and it’s not an issue right now.”

As we’ve noted last month, T.J. Oshie has been working out on the ice and he continued to do the same this past week. He’s trained in the D.C. area throughout the majority of the offseason. His broken collarbone injury by Warren Foegele in the playoffs. On Monday he was on hand at MedStar for a AAA clinic that promoted their Don’t Drive Intexicated program to prevent people from texting and driving.

Oshie told Regan in a separate article on NBCSW:

“I’m good. Now it’s just all getting those muscles built back up as best I can before the season.”

Michal Kempny suffered a hamstring injury on March 20 in a tussle with Cedric Paquette in Washington’s defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the defense wasn’t the same since. Kempny has posted off ice workout videos on his Instagram which has helped fire up fans for the season. Kempny is back in Washington and was at the practice facility on Wednesday for a physical.

Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com:

“Everything is positive for him to start camp. I’ll find out from (athletic trainer Jason Serbus) today … but everything so far has been positive that he’s good to go.”

All of these are good signs as the Capitals gear up for training camp in a couple weeks. August is wrapping up and September 12 will be here before we know it. That is when the Capitals will open up training camp but there will be more summer workouts in the meantime.