Washington claims St. Ivany off waivers, plugging the hole Desharnais left behind

The Capitals claimed defenseman Jack St. Ivany off waivers from Winnipeg on Saturday. It's a direct response to losing Vincent Desharnais to an appendectomy — the veteran blueliner went under the knife Thursday and won't be back for four to six weeks.

As I noted yesterday, the blue line was already thin before Desharnais went down. Behind Jakob Chychrun, Washington's defensive depth drops off sharply, and St. Ivany steps into that gap. He comes from a Jets organization that had him available, which tells you something about the ceiling here — this is a body, not a solution.

The move is what it is: a waiver claim made quickly because the situation required it. Whether St. Ivany can hold a regular role while Desharnais heals is the question worth watching over the next few weeks.