Garin Bjorklund Returns to Hershey from Capitals; Eisele Loaned to South Carolina

The Washington Capitals sent 23-year-old goaltender Garin Bjorklund back to the Hershey Bears as the Bears in turn loaned 27-year-old Seth Eisele to the South Carolina Stingrays, a pair of moves announced by the organizations on Feb. 5, 2026. The transactions rework the goaltending pecking order across the NHL-AHL-ECHL pipeline and give both Hershey and South Carolina clear short-term plans between the pipes.

Bjorklund arrives in Hershey with mixed results this season but with upside the Capitals and Bears clearly value. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound netminder, a sixth round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, is listed in team releases with an 11-game AHL line of 4-5-2, a 3.43 goals-against average, a .879 save percentage and one shutout. He also logged seven recent ECHL starts with the Stingrays, going 4-2-0 with a 2.37 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage during that stint. Bjorklund’s ECHL resume includes a standout 21-4-3 2024-25 campaign that helped South Carolina capture the Brabham Cup, and he produced a 40-save outing in Greensboro earlier this season as well as a 21-of-24 performance in a 5-1 loss to Savannah. The Capitals noted Bjorklund did not see game action during his most recent recall to Washington.

Eisele’s return to South Carolina restores stability to the Stingrays’ crease while keeping a close eye on development. Eisele is 9-3-1 in 15 games this season with South Carolina, posting a 2.33 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage and one shutout, and he made his AHL debut April 19, 2025, stopping 16 shots for Hershey in a 4-3 loss to Lehigh Valley. As a rookie pro in 2024-25, Eisele went 19-10-1 with three shutouts in 31 appearances, ranking first among rookies and sixth overall in the ECHL in goals-against average. Those credentials make him a high-value option for the Stingrays and a goaltender the Bears can trust to get starts and minutes at the ECHL level.

Hershey also loaned forward Justin Nachbaur to South Carolina, adding a physical depth piece to the Stingrays’ lineup. Nachbaur, 25, has skated in 15 games for Hershey this season, recording one assist and 41 penalty minutes.

On the NHL side, Washington activated goaltender Logan Thompson and center Pierre-Luc Dubois from injured reserve, moves that helped precipitate Bjorklund’s reassignment. Thompson had been placed on IR retroactive to Jan. 28 after a Jan. 27 injury and Dubois is returning from a long absence that began with an Oct. 31 injury. Those roster shifts highlight how injuries at the NHL level ripple down through affiliates and force rapid rebalancing of playing time and development slots in the AHL and ECHL.

For fans, the swaps matter on the ice and at the gate. Hershey bolsters its goaltending with a young stopper who has shown he can steal games, and South Carolina gets a proven ECHL performer and a physical forward in Nachbaur. The Bears return home to host Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Feb. 7 at GIANT Center, and the Stingrays’ schedule features a Feb. 15 date with Greenville at North Charleston Coliseum. Watch how Bjorklund and Eisele handle workload and form over the next few weeks; their performances will shape playoff pushes, influence call-up options, and illustrate the ongoing business of developing NHL-ready talent through the AHL and ECHL ranks.