Capitals Recall Hardy Häman Aktell From Hershey As Injuries Mount On Blue Line

The Washington Capitals have brought up another defenseman amid mounting injuries on the blue line, recalling Hardy Häman Aktell from the AHL's Hershey Bears ahead of Game 2 against the New York Rangers.

The 6-foot-3, 216-pound blueliner provides depth and insurance on the blue line as the Capitals deal with absences on the backend.

Washington has been operating without the likes of Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin since the end of the regular season, and Vincent Iorio was injured in Game 1 after being hit into the boards by Alexis Lafreniere.

Related: What Do Capitals Have To Do To Bounce Back In Game 2? How Things Stack Up vs. Rangers & What Needs To Change

Jensen and Sandin have been making progress, but it doesn't appear that they are ready to play in Game 2, as they remain in non-contact jerseys at Tuesday's optional skate, per Monumental Sports Network's Tarik El-Bashir .

Meanwhile, Iorio, who was called up originally to help fill in for D.C.'s injured defensemen, is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He was also in a non-contact jersey, per El-Bashir .

Häman Aktell appeared in six games this season with the Capitals, posting one assist, 11 hits, five blocks and a plus/minus rating of minus-2. He appeared in 55 games with Hershey this regular season, recording two goals and nine assists for 11 points.

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Lucas Johansen is also up with Washington and available to play, but it is unclear who will suit up for Game 2 at this time.

The Capitals face the Rangers on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden and trail their series 1-0 after a 4-1 loss in the series opener.