The Washington Capitals and New York Islanders will each have a young defenseman making his season debut with the club Saturday at Nassau Coliseum.
Dmitry Orlov, who has been shuttling back and forth between the Capitals and Hershey of the American Hockey League all season, will finally earn a sweater for Washington. Orlov, a second-round pick in the 2009 NHL Draft (No. 55), has three goals and 20 points in 65 NHL games.
Most of that came in 2011-12, when he had a solid rookie season. He sustained a concussion playing for Hershey during the lockout last season and hasn't been able to find a consistent place in the Capitals lineup since.
Calvin de Haan, a first-round pick in 2009 (No. 12), will play his second NHL game for the Islanders. He dressed for one in 2011-12. The defenseman missed most of the 2012-13 season with a shoulder injury.
He will draw into the lineup for Radek Martinek. The Islanders will put Josh Bailey, a scratch in a 5-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, back in the lineup. Anders Nilsson is expected to start in goal.
Braden Holtby, a surprise starter for the Capitals on Friday when Michal Neuvirth was injured during warm-ups, will be in goal again. Philipp Grubauer, a 2010 fourth-round pick (No. 112), was recalled on an emergency basis to backup Holtby.
Brett Leonhardt, the Capitals video coach, was the team's emergency backup goalie Friday. He filled the same role for a period in a December 2008 game against the Ottawa Senators when he was a digital producer for the team's website.
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