The Washington Capitals have announced that forward Andre Burakovsky will be out for the remainder of their first-round playoff series against the Columbus Blue Jackets with an upper-body injury. The injury will require minor surgery according to head coach Barry Trotz. There is a possibility that he can return if the Caps advance to the next round.
Cap coach Barry Trotz said Andre Burakovsky (upper body) is out for remainder of series vs. Columbus and needs minor surgery.
Said it’s possible Burakovsky returns later in playoffs should Caps advance.
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) April 20, 2018
Andre Burakovsky Injured
Burakovsky was injured after being hit from behind by Columbus Blue Jackets centre Boone Jenner in game three of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He also missed 20 games earlier this year with a broken thumb.
This season he had 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points in 56 games. He also added 27 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers are 53.0 percent Corsi with a relative Corsi of +5.4 percent. He has yet to record a point in two Stanley Cup Playoff games this year.
Burakovsky has played his entire four-year NHL career with the Washington Capitals. He has 50 goals and 70 assists for 120 career points in 252 career games. He was originally drafted in the first round, 23rd overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by the Capitals.
What Does This Mean for the Capitals
This is a big loss for the Caps seeing that Burakovsky was just starting to get hot. He had three goals and three assists for eight points in the Caps final six regular season games. He was playing on the second line with Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. Expect to see Jakub Vrana take over on the second line until Burakovsky is able to come back.
After losing the first two games in Columbus the Caps have come back to tie up the series at two games apiece.
Main Photo: WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 12: Andre Burakovsky #65 of the Washington Capitals shoots in front of Seth Jones #3 of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second period in Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 12, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
