Pheonix Copley
G LA
Thu 9/20/18 6:17 PM

Copley will start in tonight's exhibition game against Montreal.
EDGE Analysis
Yet another start for the 26-year-old netminder makes it seem more likely that he will start the season as Braden Holtby's backup.

Pheonix Copley
G LA
Mon 9/17/18 12:44 PM

Copley turned aside 21 of 22 shots faced in two periods of action during Sunday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Bruins.
EDGE Analysis
Copley eventually gave way to Vitek Vanecek, but remains on track to start the season as Braden Holtby's backup. The question of what kind of workload to expect remains unanswered, but the 26-year-old will need more outings like Sunday to justify getting close to the 35 appearances Phillip Grubauer enjoyed last season as the No. 2 netminder in DC.

Pheonix Copley
G LA
Sat 9/15/18 1:27 PM

Copley will start in goal Tuesday against the Bruins to open the preseason, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports, adding that that the goalie will play the first half of the game.
EDGE Analysis
Early signs point to Copley serving as the immediate backup to Braden Holtby in D.C. this season, but Ilya Samsonov is generally regarded as the team's "goalie of the future." If Copley is to prevent that from happening, he'll need to continue to defy the odds as an undrafted goalie out of Michigan Tech. He went 15-17-4 with a 2.91 GAA and .896 save percentage for AHL Hershey last season -- those numbers don't jump off the page, and so far, he's been limited to a pair of NHL games as a former member of the Blues.

Pheonix Copley
G LA
Sun 6/17/18 6:03 PM

Copley could be in line for a full-time NHL role with the Capitals in 2018-19, JJ Reagan of NBC Sports Washington reports.
EDGE Analysis
Reagan's speculation stems from the emerging consensus that the Capitals will move current backup Phillip Grubauer at some point this offseason to clear salary cap room following Braden Holtby's commanding performance in the crease during Washington's Stanley Cup run this Spring. Copley certainly has enough experience to fill a vacancy for the backup goaltender spot behind Holtby, but he had a sub-par 2017-18 with AHL Hershey and there is the outside possibility that top prospect Ilya Samsonov could play well-enough during the preseason to make the Capitals roster ahead of Copley (Although, given the Capitals' preference to take their time with Samsonov's development, this seems unlikely). With so many moving parts, it's difficult to say what 2018-19 has in store for the 26-year-old netminder so prospective fantasy owners should monitor the situation as the offseason unfolds.

Pheonix Copley
G LA
Thu 4/12/18 4:33 PM

Copley was recalled from AHL Hershey on Thursday.
EDGE Analysis
Copley joins the NHL squad as the Capitals' third netminder with the AHL season nearing its end and Hershey well out of playoff contention. He will likely remain in the press box as long as Philipp Grubauer and Braden Holtby are healthy and would likely only serve in a backup role even if one of the two went down. Still, he will be on hand in the unlikely event both of the netminders go down.

Pheonix Copley
G LA
Wed 3/28/18 11:42 PM

Coach Barry Trotz relayed after Wednesday's game that Copley is being sent back to AHL Hershey, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Copley's removal from the active roster likely signifies that Philipp Grubauer's (undisclosed) issue should be behind him ahead of Friday's matchup with the Hurricanes. Copley essentially served as an insurance option in goal, first behind Grubauer and now behind Braden Holtby. He will now return to an organizational depth role for the franchise. After an impressive 2016-17 season with Hershey, the 26-year-old netminder has struggled to the tune of a 2.86 GAA and a .898 save percentage with the Bears this season.

Pheonix Copley
G LA
Tue 3/27/18 3:32 PM

Copley will be recalled from AHL Hershey, Brian McNally of NHL.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Copley's recall stems from a "little tweak" that could prevent Phillip Grubauer from backing up Braden Holtby for Wednesday's home matchup against the Rangers. Eager for a chance to get Holtby some reps, it's likely that the 26-year-old netminder won't be penciled in for any starts and therefore has precious little fantasy value.

Pheonix Copley
G LA
Mon 3/26/18 3:58 PM

Copley was reassigned to AHL Hershey on Monday,
EDGE Analysis
The Capitals' top netminder, Braden Holtby (knee) reportedly will be available in a backup capacity against the Rangers in the evening's contest, so Copley heads back to the top developmental affiliate without seeing any action upon his recent call-up. This season, Copley's posted a 14-16-4 record, 2.86 GAA and .898 save percentage with the AHL's Bears, which goes to show that he still has to iron out some wrinkles in his game.

Pheonix Copley
G LA
Thu 3/22/18 2:51 PM

Copley was recalled from AHL Hershey on Thursday, Brian McNally of NHL.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Copley's ascension to the parent club was necessitated by a knee injury to celebrated backstop Braden Holtby. According to Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post, Copley will serve as the backup to Philip Grubauer in the evening's road clash with the Red Wings. He's posted a 2.86 GAA with an .898 save percentage through 38 games for the AHL's Bears, making it abundantly clear that his NHL promotion was not performance based.

Pheonix Copley
G LA
Wed 9/13/17 6:12 PM

Copley (groin) is listed on the Capitals' training camp roster ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.
EDGE Analysis
Copley sustained a serious groin injury during last season's AHL playoffs, but the 25-year-old netminder's ailment is now evidently in the rear-view mirror. He'll likely slot in as AHL Hershey's primary backstop in 2017-18.