Cole, 26, will be a restricted free agent in the offseason. He has the size to be a good defensive defenseman but has shown a little bit of offensive acumen as well. He had nine points (4G / 5A), a plus-16 rating, 42 hits and 63 blocked shots in 54 games this season.
Cole was a healthy scratch on Tuesday, but will be back in tonight for Chris Butler. He has on goal and two assists in his last six games.
Connauton will miss his second straight game tonight and will miss his third tomorrow vs. the Penguins. He is listed as day-to-day, so there is a chance that he could return next Tuesday vs. the Capitals.
Schmidt was sent down to Hershey on Saturday and fractured his scapula in his first game back with the team. It was a rough weekend for the 23-year-old.
Schmidt, 23, registered three assists in a career-high 33 games with Washington this season. He had been a healthy scratch in five of the last six games.
O’Brien, 20, registered two points (1G / 1A) in 13 games with the Capitals this season. The 6’1”, 210-pound forward signed with Washington as a free agent on Oct. 6 and made his NHL debut on Oct. 9 against Montreal. O’Brien earned his first NHL point on Oct. 14 against San Jose and scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 26 at Vancouver.
With injuries to Dennis Everberg, Alex Tanguay and Jamie McGinn, the Avalanche recalled three forwards on Friday. Agozzino, 23, has three goals and five assists in 14 games with Lake Erie this morning. The undrafted free agent finished tied for the team lead with 49 points (17G / 32A) in 75 games last season.
The Blue Jackets claimed Connauton off of waivers from Dallas on Tuesday and will be inserted in the lineup tonight vs. the Bruins. Tim Erixon will come out of the lineup to make room for the newest Blue Jacket. Connauton had two assists in eight games with Dallas this season.
Connauton, 24, was Vancouver’s third pick, 83rd overall, in the 2009 NHL Draft. He has registered one goal and nine assists for 10 points with 22 penalty minutes in 44 career NHL games, all during the past two seasons with the Stars. He has collected 0-2-2 with six penalty minutes and is +4 in eight games this season.
O'Brien had 20 goals, 15 assists and 148 PIMs in 68 games with Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) last season. At 6-foot-1, 205 lbs. O'Brien brings size and a physical brand of hockey to the Capitals and he has a legitimate chance at cracking the starting lineup on opening day.
Schmidt has appeared in 28 games with the Capitals this season, he has two goals and four assists. In 16 games with Hershey he had seven points (1G / 6A).
“He’s really worked hard in practices,” said Ruff. “In his first game, early on he was OK and as the game went on he got better. He skates well, he shoots the puck well and he knows our system really well. I told him the other day that I am going to play him, so it’s up to him to play well now.” Jamie Oleksiak, who played on defense in Sunday’s game against Edmonton, will be a healthy scratch
Connauton, 23, made his NHL debut with the Stars this season, he played 16:05 with a plus-2 rating. If he draws in tonight it would be just his second NHL game after playing 221 games in the AHL since 2010. In that span he had 33 goals and 55 assists (88 points).
Connauton, 23, has one assist and a minus-4 rating with Texas. He has appeared in one game with Dallas this season, he played 16:06 and was a plus-2. The Stars have placed tough-guy Lane MacDermid in on Waivers to clear room for Connauton.
Connauton will make his NHL debut tonight. He had two goals and four assists in nine games with Texas (AHL).
Schmidt is expected to make his NHL debut tomorrow with John Erskine out with an upper-body injury. He has one goal in one game with Hershey.
The 23-year-old was acquired by the Stars with a second-round pick in the 2013 draft from the Vancouver Canucks for forward Derek Roy on April 2, and then sent to the American Hockey League. Connauton split his 2012-13 AHL season between the Chicago Wolves and the Texas Stars. He played 69 total games last season with nine goals and 22 assists.
Schmidt had nine goals and 23 assists in 40 games as a Junior at the University of Minnesota.
Connauton is a strong offensive defenseman who has seven goals and 18 assists in 60 games in the AHL this season.
CC will make way for more "size and speed" according to Hitchcock
