Craig Laughlin to finally return to broadcast booth Sunday

Washington Capitals color commentator Craig Laughlin will finally make his return to the broadcast booth following open heart surgery that kept him out of seven weeks. You can catch him alongside Joe Beninati on Monumental Sports Network on Sunday at 3 when the Caps host the Buffalo Sabres.

Locker back in time for Stanley Cup Playoffs and The Gr8 Chase

On Friday afternoon with the Caps off, Laughlin posted to his X account:

"Hey, Caps fans, I've got some updates here. It's been seven long weeks since my operation. I feel fantastic - lots of working out, lots of heart rehab, and that means my return is right around the corner. I can't wait to get back in the booth Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres. I feel I'm ready. I'm energized and I'm ready to get back in my seat next to Joe B and all my great teammates in Monumental Sports. It's been a journey, for sure, and I couldn't have done it without the great support of the fans, the Capitals organization, Monumental, my family, of course. I think I'm ready. I'm off the IR, and you've heard it here first, I am back! "

Craig Laughlin

This annoucment came two days after Locker posted a teaser of himself working out saying he was "officially off long term injured reserve". He's been out of game action since Jan. 18. Early the next week, the 67 year old had open heart surgery to repair a bicuspid aortic valve and a blocked left anterior descending artery.

Filling in for Laughlin at color commentary has been former Caps forward and longtime analyst Alan May. Of course Laughlin has wanted to be on the call with his broadcast partner Joe Beninati when Alex Ovechkin passes Wayne Gretzky for goal number 895 to take the lead for the all-time goals record.

After Ovechkin was unable to score in last night's defeat to the Minnesota Wild, Ovechkin is on pace to tie the record on April 12 at the Columbus Blue Jackets and break it April 15 at the New York Islanders. Both games are set for national broadcasts on ABC and ESPN, respectively, but that doesn't mean they're missing The Gr8 Chase.

Thanks to an agreement between the NHL and Monumental Sports Network, Joe Beninati and now Craig Laughlin will do play by play for the remainder of the season and the ability to do their own broadcasts for archival purposes.

To put the math simple, there's 10 games left and Ovi needs six goals to overtake Gretzky's record. The game against the Sabres will be the beginning of a stretch where the Caps will play 10 times in 18 days before the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

But today it's all about Locker. Welcome back buddy!