Commanders might consider a risky move after Dorance Armstrong injury blow

When fans thought things couldn't get much worse for the Washington Commanders injury-wise this season, another bitter blow emerged. And unfortunately for head coach Dan Quinn, it's another established presence who'll now be out for the foreseeable future.

Concerns were immediate when Dorance Armstrong Jr. went down after a few snaps of their opening drive against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7. The defensive end hadn't practiced much throughout the week with a hamstring problem. Washington activated him for the game, but that will be the last time they see the former Kansas prospect in 2025.

After additional testing, Quinn revealed that Armstrong had suffered a significant knee injury and would be out for the remainder of the campaign. He was their most productive pass-rusher in the midst of a breakout campaign. Considering that Deatrich Wise Jr. and Javontae Jean-Baptiste are also out long-term, this already threadbare unit has been decimated.

Commanders need another edge rusher after Dorance Armstrong Jr. injury blow

Quinn also confirmed that he would be meeting with general manager Adam Peters regarding possible reinforcements. They only have Jacob Martin, Von Miller, and Preston Smith as things stand. Drake Jackson was recently acquired, but he went to injured reserve almost immediately to continue his recovery.

More is needed. Fans know it. Quinn and Peters realize it. The problem is finding the required quality with severely diminished options available.

Going down the trade route might be something to consider. Still, Peters doesn't have many assets after giving up so much for Marshon Lattimore, Laremy Tunsil, and Deebo Samuel Sr. Free agents are extremely thin on the ground, so perhaps scooping someone off a practice squad might be the best way to go.

Julian Okwara is someone the Commanders should consider. He's athletic and fits the mold of edge rushers within Quinn's system. Although he never built on a promising start to his NFL career with the Detroit Lions, he could still have some use with a smooth transition.

Okwara is currently on the Cleveland Browns practice squad after spending last season with the Arizona Cardinals, logging 18 tackles, one sack, three tackles for loss, and four pressures from 34 percent of defensive snaps. He also knows Washington's assistant general manager, Lance Newmark, well from their time together in Detroit.

It's a dart throw, and far from ideal. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Okwara hasn't made an impact in Cleveland, but it's also worth remembering that the Browns have a formidable defensive front led by All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett.

Whether it's Okwara or something a little bolder, something needs to be done. Because make no mistake, standing pat is not an option.

Charle-Edouard D’Astous ‘rewarded’ for hard work with recall, gunning for first NHL game with Lightning

D’Astous took GM Julien BriseBois’ training camp advice to heart, becoming one of the first recalls from AHL Syracuse this season.

Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Julien BriseBois told Charle-Edouard D’Astous when he assigned the 27-year-old defenseman to the American Hockey League at the dawn of the 2025-26 season that he hoped to be talking again soon.

That follow-up chat came only a few weeks later–BriseBois called the defenseman on Monday to let him know he was being recalled to the NHL following a strong start with the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL.

“When Julien sent me down, he was like, ‘We're really happy about the way you played here, and just go down there and work hard and just try to be the first call up,’” D’Astous recalled from Tampa Bay’s practice facility at TGH IcePlex in Brandon on Tuesday.

“And that's what I did right away when I got down in Syracuse. I think I've been working really hard down there, and I got rewarded now.”

The left-shooting D’Astous co-leads all Syracuse defensemen in scoring with a goal and three points, helping the team to a 4-0-0-0 record—its best start to a season in nearly three decades.

The Lightning open a three-game homestand with a matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, seeking their second win of the season.

If D’Astous plays in that game, it would mark the NHL debut for the undrafted defenseman who carries 27 career AHL games split between Syracuse, Grand Rapids (Detroit) and Colorado (Colorado).

“It’s quite a journey, I would say. But I always believed in myself and I knew one day I would be here,” D’Astous said in Lightning colors on Tuesday. "And here I am. It’s been years and years of working hard and believing in myself. I think I got rewarded for that.”

Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper spoke on D’Astous after Tuesday’s practice, saying he has already been noticed within his new organization.

“He came to our team, made an impression in camp,” Cooper said of D’Astous, who is wearing No. 51. “We needed a body up here and he gave us reasons to bring him back here. Now, other defensemen down there are giving us the same reason…somebody has to come, and this is one kid we haven't really seen, so you get to know him a little bit better and see what he can do.”

Offensive punch and more from ‘Chucky'

D’Astous said his teammates typically call him ‘Chucky’ or ‘Charlie’, joking that his French Canadian name can be tricky to pronounce.

The Quebec native's hockey career began close to home, playing four seasons for Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from 2015 to 2019 before making the jump to professional hockey. He split the 2019-20 season between the Detroit Red Wings’ AHL and ECHL teams before playing 14 games in the AHL the following season.

His climb through the hockey world required time and development but has also been filled with accomplishments and trophies, as well as troves of offense in part thanks to a pivot overseas.

He averaged nearly a point per game in the QMJHL, and his offense jumped off the page during the 2021-22 season in the ECHL with the Utah Grizzlies—he scored 26 goals and 57 points with 87 penalty minutes in 52 games played, the second-most points by any defenseman in the entire ECHL that season to be named the league’s defenseman of the year.

D’Astous scored a league-high 19 goals and 30 points in 20 ECHL playoff games to cap a strong season before jumping overseas, playing for KooKoo in Finland’s top professional league, Liiga, for two seasons. He was named to the Liiga All-Star team in 2023-24 after leading the league in average time on ice (24:43) and winning the awards for Liiga's top defenseman and most goals by a defenseman (17).

His next move was natural, playing 2024-25 in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for Brynäs IF and winning more hardware—for the second time in as many seasons and leagues, he was voted the best defenseman after scoring 12 goals and 39 points in 49 games.

D'Astous always knew his route to the NHL would likely wind through the ECHL, then Finland and Sweden.

“Playing overseas I think helped my game overall. Like my skating abilities on big ice over there, I needed to skate well. So I think I improved a lot on that, just growing and being more mature in my game overall. So I think the last couple of years have been really good for me overseas, and I learned a lot over there,” he said. “I was ready to come back now.”

D’Astous felt comfortable in two preseason games during his first training camp with the Lightning this fall and feels he has proven himself as an NHL option.

“I played pretty good. I was physical, created a couple chances, was good in my zone,” he said of his preseason. “I think overall, I was happy about my camp, liked what I did here for the two weeks I was here and proved to the team that I could play here. I think that’s why I got called up today.”

For the first time since 2022, D’Astous finds himself back in North America playing in an NHL organization. And for the first time ever, he could be staring a true NHL opportunity in the face.

The 6-foot-2, 211-pound player knows his offensive numbers jump off the chart, especially for a defenseman. He thinks other parts of his game have developed since his last U.S. look, too.

After a long-traveled road through the ECHL and Europe filled with multiple stops along the way, he doesn’t take that lightly.

“I think I'm really good offensively, but I think if you just look at my numbers, I can bring more. Like I'm good in my zone too. I can play big minutes, play on the PK, I can be physical. I think I can do a lot. So I'm just trying to be here and be solid everywhere on the ice,” he said.

“When I get an opportunity to prove myself, I'll do it.”

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