Washington Capitals forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel suspended three games

Washington Capitals forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel has been suspended three games for an illegal hit to the head on Tampa Bay’s Cal Foote on Friday.

He’ll be eligible to return for Washington’s game Nov. 19 against the Colorado Avalanche.

Aube-Kubel was given a match penalty for a blindside hit on Foote, who was dazed but got up under his own power. During the penalty review, Washington’s Garnet Hathaway and Tampa’s Patrick Maroon got into a fight and received $4,054 and $2,703 fines, respectively.

Aube-Kubel has played just three games with the Capitals since getting picked up on waivers from Toronto last week. He has no points through nine games between the two teams and was a healthy scratch in a handful of occasions for the Leafs.

The 26-year-old forward won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche last season. He had 11 goals and 23 points in 74 regular season games, mainly acting as a speedy depth forward.

The Capitals already have a depleted roster, with Connor Brown, TJ Oshie, Tom Wilson, Carl Hagelin and Nicklas Backstrom all on injured reserve. Defenseman John Carlson returned to Washington’s lineup last night after missing two weeks with a lower-body injury.