Michael Nylander News

Welcome to SportsNation! ESPN.com marks Thursday Night Hockey with an afternoon chat leading into the night's schedule of games.

Just when the Washington Capitals' injury situation appeared to be improving, things have taken an unexpected turn for the worse.

Alexander Semin, the team's second most dangerous goal-scoring threat, arrived at Kettler Capitals Iceplex following practice on Wednesday wearing a new brace on his 'sore' right wrist.

General Manager George McPhee said an MRI exam did not reveal any structural damage but conceded that Semin, who was sidelined Tuesday in New York, might miss this weekend's games against Montreal and Toronto as well.

With no future for him in the Washington Capitals organization, centre Michael Nylander has signed in the Continental Hockey League, according to a report on the website of French all-sports television network RDS.

While Alex Ovechkin still can't say exactly when he'll return to the Washington Capitals' lineup, this much is no longer up for debate: The franchise winger will be back soon.

Ovechkin practiced with his teammates Thursday for the first time since suffering a left shoulder strain on Nov. 1 and did not look encumbered at all by the injury.

He raced up and down the ice, swinging his arms comfortably and carrying his stick in his left hand. He effortlessly zipped passes across the ice to teammates in drills. And, most important, Ovechkin fully wound up on slap shots, sending pucks pinging off goal posts and crackling off the glass behind the net.

Chris Clark scored the deciding goal in the 11th round of the shootout, and backup goalie Semyon Varlamov came on in relief and carried the Washington Capitals to a 5-4 comeback victory over the New York Islanders.

's timetable to return to the lineup for the Washington Capitals remains unclear, but all signs at practice Monday point to sooner rather than later.

Alex Ovechkin scored 14 goals in his first 14 games before being sidelined by an unspecified upper body injury.

Michael Nylander was placed on waivers Saturday by the Washington Capitals, a move that could expedite a resolution to an awkward situation that has hung over the team since training camp.

If Nylander is claimed, the team that picks him up will assume the remainder of his $5.5 million salary (and pay the Capitals a waiver fee of just more than $3,000). If Nylander is not claimed, he will remain on Washington's roster, but the path will be cleared for the Capitals to loan the 37-year-old center to a team outside of the NHL.

The Washington Capitals recalled veteran center Michael Nylander from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL on Wednesday.

After losing his first five starts of the year, goaltender Martin Biron finally got his first win as a New York Islander Saturday night.

Per Lyle "Spector" Richardson ...The Washington Post's Tarik El-Bashir reports that the Capitals have to recall Michael Nylander from the Grand Rapids Griffins on Tuesday.

Just who is running the ghost ship that is the office of the NHL Players' Association? Well, for now, it's Mike Ouellet and Rolland Lee.

Still, with Frolov set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, it is hard to imagine he has a long-term future in Los Angeles.

The Oilers have a history of trade transactions and signings that come under fire.

Francis Pare scored the winner in the sixth round of the shootout Saturday as the Grand Rapids Griffins downed the Toronto Marlies 4-3 in American Hockey League action.

According to the Grand Rapids Griffins' website, the Red Wings' AHL affiliate has added a second non-Detroit player to their roster a day after receiving Michael Nylander from the Washington Capitals for a conditioning stint: October 22, Griffinshockey.com : The Grand Rapids Griffins on Thursday acquired left wing Patrick Rissmiller on reassignment ...

After Jeff Schultz scored from 85 feet out, the rest seemed almost easy for the Washington Capitals.

The Washington Capitals have assigned center Michael Nylander to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL on a conditioning stint.Nylander has played 920 career NHL games for the Caps, Rangers, Bruins, Blackhawks, Lightning, Flames and Whalers, and notched 209 goals and 470 assists over the course of 15 seasons.

On the third day of NHL free agency, the Edmonton Oilers did not rest. They announced that there will be a new goaltending tandem next season, after free agent Mathieu Garon signed a two-year contract.

For the first time since opening night against Boston, the Washington Capitals played a full 60-minute hockey game on Thursday night.