There’s a Rasmus Sandin injury to the back end of the Capitals blue line. Sunday night in Washington, D.C., the Capitals lost more than just the game. Defender Rasmus Sandin was injured in the final play of the opening period and did not return to the game. Capitals PR referred to Sandin’s injury as “upper body.”
Rasmus Sandin Injured
Rasmus Sandin’s injury came at the very end of the first period. As Sandin skated the puck into the Ottawa zone with less than five seconds before intermission, Senators forward Parker Kelly checked him hard into the boards at the end of Ottawa’s bench. Most of the impact appeared to go through Sandin’s right shoulder.
Sandin played only 7:09 before the injury that took him out the rest of the game. Postgame, head coach Spencer Carbery told media Sandin is “going to miss some time.” Washington’s medical staff evaluated Sandin on Monday and he will miss the rest of the regular season.
What This Means for Washington
The Rasmus Sandin injury is a tough pill to swallow. Sandin has already missed nine games this season due to injuries. Most recently, he sat out on March 30th against Boston with a lower-body injury. The Capitals already have an extra defender recalled from Hershey, Vincent Iorio. This is due to Ethan Bear‘s entry into the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. Since being recalled on March 27, Iorio has only played one game, sliding into the lineup when Sandin missed the Bruins game. He skated just over 9 minutes across 13 shifts, had one shot on goal, and was a +1 goal differential.
The Capitals have five games left in their season and are fighting for one of the last playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. Washington’s next game is on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings. If Sandin is going to miss the rest of the game, Iorio may see his NHL experience double. Sandin has averaged 21 minutes of play per night this season. Iorio has never played more than 16 minutes in the four NHL games he’s played in his career. The Capitals’ more experienced defensemen will likely see their playing time increase as Iorio adjusts to the game’s speed after not playing for over a week.
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