The Washington Capitals hit the ice for their first optional skate since the NHL's Olympic break, and the big news is Connor McMichael and Charlie Lindgren joining the group after their respective injuries sidelined them before the pause. McMichael, who's been week-to-week with an upper-body issue since late January, donned a non-contact jersey but looked sharp, while Lindgren went full-go after missing four games with a lower-body tweak that forced some awkward roster juggling down in Hershey.

The Capitals reward their steady AHL netminder Mitch Gibson with a two-year, two-way contract that kicks in right now, straight from the front office announcement today. This 2018 fourth-rounder out of Harvard has turned heads in Hershey with a scorching .918 save percentage and career-high 12 starts this season, especially amid Washington's goaltending injury woes with Lindgren and Thompson sidelined before the Olympic break.