GM Chris Patrick In Interesting Spot As Capitals Face Tough Decisions Amid More Cuts

The Washington Capitals made some more cuts on Thursday, waiving Spencer Smallman and Calle Rosen to assign the pair to the AHL's Hershey Bears.

There are more transactions expected to be announced on Saturday when the Capitals return to the ice for practice, but a number of hopefuls weren't on the wire and remain at camp in Sonny Milano, Hendrix Lapierre, Ethen Frank, Vincent Iorio, Dylan McIlrath and Clay Stevenson.

That said, things are going to get more interesting when it comes to who ends up sticking around, and general manager Chris Patrick faces some tough decisions, too, with limited vacancies on the roster.

For starters, it's hard to not pencil in Milano or Lapierre on the opening night roster, and Lapierre is in an interesting spot where he's shown he can drive a line in camp. He is waivers eligible for the first time, meaning if he does eventually get sent down, he'll have to clear, and quite possibly wouldn't make it through.

It's Been A Long Road Back To The Capitals For Milano. It's Paying Off So Far In Camp: 'He's Playing At The Top Level Of Sonny Right Now'ARLINGTON, V.A. — Washington Capitals winger Sonny Milano likes to look at the bright side.

Then, there's Ethen Frank, the speedy forward with a wicked shot who made the full-time NHL jump in the second half of last season. As it stands right now, there may not be room, meaning he could end up having to hit the wire.

On defense, Vincent Iorio is making things interesting. The 23-year-old is on a mission to make the roster out of camp, as he wants to remain in the Capitals organization and also faces waivers if he gets cut. He put on 17 pounds of muscle in the offseason and has been one of the top defensemen so far in camp, and is forcing coach Spencer Carbery's hand to reconsider his blue line that appeared already set before camp.

Iorio could essentially replace McIlrath as the extra defenseman, though McIlrath has been a steady presence on and off the ice that the Capitals signed to an extension last season.

Finally, in net, Clay Stevenson presents a quandary. Stevenson has shined so far through camp, but Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren are the two NHL goalies, meaning Stevenson, who's projected to be the No. 1 in Hershey, will all but certainly go on waivers. And more than likely, he gets scooped up as a promising young goaltender with tremendous upside.

With that being the case, Patrick could consider making a trade to try and get something in return for pieces he'd otherwise lose for nothing on the wire.

The Capitals return to camp on Saturday.