As the Capitals begin to gather in Washington for the return of the season, it appears a couple of expected black aces are headed back as well. Martin Fehervary posted a story on Instagram Monday showing him and goalie Vitek Vanecek on a plane with the caption "Back to Washington."
"Black aces" are practice and depth players added to the postseason roster. While Fehervary had not previously been specifically mentioned by either general manager Brian MacLellan or head coach Todd Reriden as a black ace, it was assumed he would be among the players recalled as he is essentially the No. 8 defenseman in the organization. MacLellan even mentioned him at the trade deadline when he said he felt the defense was set after the acquisition of Brenden Dillon.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE CAPITALS TALK PODCAST
Goalie Pheonix Copley confirmed in an end-of-season video conference for the Hershey Bears that he would be a black ace for Washington giving the team three goalies. Acknowledging the uncertainty of the postseason, however, the NHL stipulated a team could bring an unlimited number of goalies to the hub city. Reirden also noted several times in a video conference on Monday having to manage four goalies, so it is no surprise to see Vanecek return to Washington as well in preparation of the postseason.
RELATED ARTICLE: POSTSEASON QUESTIONS: WHAT WILL CAPS' TOP FOUR ON DEFENSE LOOK LIKE
Monday's Instagram post is not a confirmation that Fehervary and Vanecek will be black aces, but it is reasonable to assume that they will be at this point. It seems doubtful they would both head to Washington just for a vacation in the middle of a pandemic. If projecting out a roster for the hub city, it now appears the Caps will have four goalies, Fehervary and Beck Malenstyn who also confirmed he was a black ace during Hershey's end of season video conference. The team is also considering bringing 2019 first-round pick Connor McMichael.
Stay connected to the Capitals with the MyTeams app. Click here to download for comprehensive coverage of your teams.
MORE CAPITALS NEWS:
- Father's Day: Celebrating Caps dads
- Return Questions: How will Holtby perform?
- In the Dark: Coaches unsure how to prep
Potential Capitals black aces Martin Fehervary, Vitek Vanecek heading to Washington originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
