The Capitals lost Matt Roy to a lower-body injury in Tampa tonight, and the veteran defenceman won't return to the game.
Washington announced the news during the game. No timeline came with it, and no further details on the injury.
Roy, 31, carries a $5,750,000 cap hit and played in the 5-2 season-opening win in Carolina.
That win set an early tone. Alex Tuch scored his first goal as a Capital, and Alex Ovechkin went and grabbed the puck for him.
Now the blue line has a hole to fill. Jakob Chychrun, at $9,000,000, leads a group that suddenly looks thinner.
Martin Fehervary, Vincent Desharnais and Timothy Liljegren round out the group. Cole Hutson, just 20, is the wild card.
Spencer Carbery gets four days to sort out his blue line
The schedule helps. After Tampa, the Capitals don't play again until Wednesday, when Pittsburgh visits.
That's four days to evaluate Roy and figure out the pairings. Spencer Carbery won't have to rush anything.
If Roy misses time, Carbery should lean on Hutson. A 20-year-old on a $952,083 cap hit needs real minutes to grow, and an injury opening is the cleanest way to hand them over.
Losing a steady defenceman is like losing the drummer in a band. Nobody notices him until the rhythm falls apart.
Chris Patrick will be watching closely to see how his depth holds up.
The Rangers come to Washington two nights after Pittsburgh. Two home dates against Metropolitan rivals in three days make this update matter quickly.
For now, it's a lower-body injury and a wait for news. How Roy responds over the next few days will shape Washington's blue line for the rest of October.
Should the Capitals give Cole Hutson bigger minutes if Matt Roy misses time?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Elliotte Friedman reveals another rising star wants out of Detroit : Simon Edvinsson
