The Capitals are set to call up goaltender Mitch Gibson after the Hershey Bears recall him from the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays. This move suggests that one of the Bears' netminders, Clay Stevenson or Garin Bjorklund, will soon be sent to the Capitals. Gibson's recall comes as a result of Charlie Lindgren's upper-body injury, which prevented him from dressing for the Capitals against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night. Lindgren's late scratch forced the Caps to use practice netminder Parker Milner as an emergency backup to Logan Thompson. Lindgren's injury is expected to be minor, but he will be out for a few games. Stevenson, the Capitals' lone netminder with prior NHL experience, made his debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins last April, impressing head coach Spencer Carbery with 33 saves in a 5-2 loss. This season, Stevenson has a 7-4-0 record in the AHL with a 2.54 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. Gibson, on the other hand, has had a strong season in the ECHL, going 7-4-0 with a 2.20 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage, and one shutout in 11 appearances. The 2018 fourth-round draft selection has played in three career AHL games for the Bears over the past two years. With the Stingrays, Gibson went 22-14-3 in 2023-24, posting a 2.56 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage. He was also the ECHL Goaltender of the Week for the period of Nov. 3-9. Gibson's recall is a strategic move by the Capitals, ensuring they have a strong netminder in the ECHL who can step up when needed. The Capitals will return home after their four-game road trip and take Saturday off before getting back on the ice on Sunday morning for their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Capital One Arena.
