Capitals' Andre Burakovsky: Nearing return to action

Burakovsky (thumb) could return to action as soon as Friday against the Rangers, Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post reports.

Burakovsky hasn't officially been cleared to play yet, but he returned to practice with his teammates Tuesday, which marked one of the last hurdles he needed to clear before returning to the lineup. The Capitals will be happy to have the Austrian winger back in action once he's given the green light, as he was a solid source of secondary scoring early on this campaign, notching one goal and four points in nine contests. Washington should release another update on Burakovsky's status ahead of puck drop Friday evening.