Dowd (upper body) was activated from injured reserve Wednesday.
Dowd appears ready to return after missing eight contests due to the injury. He'll likely slot back into a fourth-line role with ample time on the penalty kill. Bogdan Trineyev was reassigned to AHL Hershey in a corresponding move.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: On injured reserve
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Dowd (upper body) was put on injured reserve Wednesday.
Dowd has been a game-time decision for the last few contests, including Wednesday's tilt against Winnipeg. However, he will miss his fifth straight game. He has a goal, five points, 14 PIM and 33 hits in 19 outings in 2025-26. Washington summoned Bogdan Trineyev from the minors in a corresponding move.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Not suiting up Monday
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Dowd (upper body) isn't in the lineup for Monday's home contest versus Columbus, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.
Dowd will miss his fourth consecutive game due to his upper-body injury. The Alabama native's next chance to suit up will be at home Wednesday against the Jets.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Won't travel for Thursday's game
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Dowd (upper body) won't travel to Montreal for Thursday's game and will be evaluated when the Capitals return home, Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post reports.
Dowd was a late scratch for Wednesday's contest and will miss at least one more before he's able to return. His ongoing absence should allow Sonny Milano to stay in the Capitals' lineup versus the Canadiens on Thursday. Beyond that, Dowd's status is uncertain until his injury is examined further.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Not expected to play Wednesday
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Dowd (upper body) is not on the ice for warmups and is not expected to play Wednesday versus the Oilers, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.
Dowd is reportedly banged up and will sit out the first half of a back-to-back at a minimum. It's a tough on-ice loss for the Capitals, as Dowd's defensive instincts will be missed against the Oilers' top players. Sonny Milano will draw into the lineup Wednesday, while Dowd will try to be ready for Thursday's game in Montreal.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Two points in Tuesday's win
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Dowd produced a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Kraken.
The veteran grinder opened the scoring midway through the first period by tapping home a slick feed from John Carlson before getting the puck to Tom Wilson for an empty-netter late in the third. Dowd had gone without a point through the first six contests of the season, but offense isn't his game -- last regular season's 14 goals and 27 points were career highs. With 14 hits in those seven appearances, he's well on his way to reaching triple digits in that category for a seventh straight campaign.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Back with team
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Dowd (personal) skated with the non-game group during Tuesday's practice, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.
Dowd skated on his own Monday after being absent from training camp since last Tuesday due to a personal matter. The 35-year-old forward accounted for 14 goals, 27 points, 82 blocked shots and 128 hits across 82 regular-season games in 2024-25.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Not playing Thursday
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Dowd (personal) will not be in the lineup versus the Flyers on Thursday.
Dowd hasn't rejoined the team yet but could still be an option to play versus the Devils on Sunday. Looking ahead to the upcoming season, the 35-year-old center should slot into a bottom-six role and figures to be a near-lock for the 20-point threshold after reaching that mark in each of the previous four seasons.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Slides assist in win
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Dowd notched an assist, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Canadiens in Game 4.
Dowd snapped a four-game point drought with the helper on a Brandon Duhaime empty-netter in the third period. The 34-year-old Dowd continues to be an important depth forward for the Capitals, functioning as a shutdown center. This was his first point to go with five shots on net, 10 hits, nine blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over four playoff games.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Grabs two-year extension
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Dowd signed a two-year, $6 million contract extension with Washington on Wednesday.
Dowd has been nothing if not consistent for the Caps, reaching the 20-point threshold in each of the previous four seasons. In fact, it was a career year for the 34-year-old center, as he set new personal bests with 14 goals and 27 points. While Dowd won't be a top-end offensive contributor, he offers decent depth scoring for Washington and could be a mid-range fantasy option in deeper formats.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Garners helper in win
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Dowd logged an assist, two shots on goal and two blocked shots in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Islanders.
Dowd has earned four points over the last 10 games. The 34-year-old was able to chip in an assist on Dylan Strome's empty-netter to seal this win, which also gave Strome a hat trick. Dowd has done well in a bottom-six role this season, scoring 14 goals and 27 points, both of which are career highs. He's added 86 shots on net, 81 blocked shots, 127 hits, 56 PIM and a plus-8 rating over 81 appearances.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Sets career high in points
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Dowd tallied a goal, fired three shots on net, blocked three shots and dished out three hits in Thursday's 5-4 shootout win over Carolina.
Dowd found the back of the net for Washington's third goal of the night and was the first of two twine finders in 38 seconds late in the second period. Thursday's goal helped Dowd set a new career high in points, besting the 25 he recorded in 2022-23. Overall, the 34-year-old Dowd has 14 goals, 26 points and 122 hits in 78 appearances this season. While Dowd lacks high-end fantasy value, he's ending the season on a high note with a new personal best for his resume and a solid five points and 19 hits in his last 15 games.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Nets shortie Tuesday
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Dowd scored a shorthanded goal on three shots in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Bruins.
Dowd has four points over his last 11 games. The defensive center continues to play a significant role for the Capitals, though it's not one that leads to much offense. He's matched his career high in points with 25 (13 goals, 12 assists), doing so in 74 appearances after setting that high mark in 65 games in 2022-23. He's added 77 shots on net, 118 hits, 71 blocked shots, 42 PIM and a plus-10 rating in 2024-25.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Adds helper in loss
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Dowd notched an assist in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Wild.
Dowd had gone six games without a point, adding four shots on net and 10 hits in that span. He doesn't have to score to be valuable on the ice as a defensive center, but he's still had a decent year for a player in his role. He's at 12 goals, 24 points, 74 shots on net, 116 hits, 69 blocked shots, 42 PIM and a plus-10 rating over a career-high 72 appearances. He's one goal and one point shy of matching his personal-best numbers from 2022-23 in each category.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Deposits goal in win
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Dowd scored a goal in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Ducks.
Dowd snapped a 10-game point drought with a helper Sunday versus the Kraken, and he now has his first goal since Feb. 4 versus the Panthers. The 34-year-old center is enjoying a steady campaign with 12 tallies, 23 points, 69 shots on net, 105 hits, 67 blocked shots, 42 PIM and a plus-10 rating over 65 appearances. While officially listed on the fourth line, Dowd's usage as a shutdown center often leads to him playing a larger role than that placement in the lineup would suggest.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Helps out on empty-netter
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Dowd logged an assist in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Kraken.
Dowd had gone 10 games without a point since his three-point effort in a 6-3 win over the Panthers on Feb. 4. Scoring is not Dowd's primary source of value to the Capitals, as he remains a strong defensive center in a bottom-six role. He has 22 points through 64 outings this season, which is right in line with his usual production over the last four years. He's added 68 shots on net, 104 hits, 67 blocked shots, 42 PIM and a plus-9 rating. He needs seven more appearances to set a career high in games played, and his good health could also help him surpass his career-high 25 points from the 2022-23 campaign.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Notches three points
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Dowd registered a goal, two assists, three hits and a plus-2 rating during Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Panthers.
Dowd's helpers opened and closed the scoring for Washington, with his second assist getting Alex Ovechkin to within 17 goals of the all-time record. The 34-year-old Dowd has chipped in a goal and seven points in 16 games since the calendar rolled into 2025.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Two helpers vs. Pittsburgh
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Dowd finished Saturday's 4-1 win over the Penguins with two assists, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating.
Dowd assisted on the first and last goals of the game, with the latter coming into an empty net. He hasn't taken a shot over his last three games, but Dowd has logged three assists over that span after failing to register a point over his previous four appearances.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Dishes helper
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Dowd registered an assist and two blocked shots during Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Ducks.
Dowd snapped a four-game scoring drought with the secondary assist on Brandon Duhaime's game-winning goal. The 34-year-old has posted two goals and five points over his last 10 games.
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Capitals' Nic Dowd: Puts away goal Sunday
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Dowd scored a goal in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Red Wings.
Dowd has scored in back-to-back contests after going eight games without a point. The 34-year-old center is up to 10 goals in just 36 outings this season -- he's now reached double-digit tallies in five straight campaigns, and his career high of 13 is very much within reach. The fourth-liner has 13 points, 49 shots on net, 68 hits, 35 blocked shots, 36 PIM and a plus-10 rating.
