The Washington Capitals made two considerable moves on Friday. They announced that John Carlson was day-to-day, but wouldn’t specify the injury that’s plaguing him. Brooks Orpik was also moved to the long-term injured reserve list, meaning the team is without two of their defensemen for Friday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
John Carlson and Brooks Orpik Out with Injury
John Carlson
It’s not entirely known when Carlson was injured. He finished out Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins and didn’t mention any sort of injury in post-game interviews. Carlson continues to be the team’s top defenseman. He currently leads the team in ice-time. In 14 games, he has averaged an even 26 minutes per game. He also has 18 points. This is tied for third amongst defensemen, behind Thomas Chabot and Brent Burns and tied with Morgan Rielly. It also ties him for second on the Capitals roster.
Brooks Orpik
Orpik being moved to the injured reserve list isn’t much of a surprise. The 38-year-old defenseman hasn’t practiced since the end of October. On October 30th, he was spotted on the ice with the team’s trainer, but only for a short workout. He also has a lower-body injury. Orpik has already missed four games and this move is retroactive to October 28th. As a part of the long-term injured reserve protocol, he will miss at least 10 games in total, meaning that he will be out for the next six games. The earliest he could return would be on November 21st when the Capitals face the Chicago Blackhawks.
Orpik has only scored two points, split evenly, in his first 10 games this season. He’s played an average of 16 minutes a game. This is about middle-of-the-pack when you look at the entire Capitals team, but it’s third-lowest amongst their defensemen. His point totals also place him third-lowest on the team.
Call-Ups
As a result of the injuries, the Capitals have recalled Jonas Siegenthaler and Aaron Ness. Siegenthaler is the only one in the roster for Friday night’s game, officially making his NHL debut. On this fact, Siegenthaler said, “I’ve dreamed about this all my life, and I’ve never felt this happy in my life.” He currently has two points in 14 AHL games so far. He’s expected to be lining up on the third defensive pairing on Friday, with Madison Bowey.
Main Photo: VANCOUVER, BC – OCTOBER 26: John Carlson #74 of the Washington Capitals during NHL action against the Vancouver Canucks on October, 26, 2017 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
