The Washington Capitals goaltender Henrik Lundqvist announced via Twitter that he will be withdrawing from the upcoming NHL season due to a heart condition.
Some tough news I need to share with you all.. pic.twitter.com/y7ZtAoo39Q
— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist) December 17, 2020
Henrik Lundqvist Out This Upcoming Season
Lundqvist was one of the first unrestricted free agent goaltenders to sign with a new team during the off-season, closing a deal with the Washington Capitals on October 9th.
The goaltender has played for the New York Rangers during his 15-year NHL career. He has put up a 459-310-96 career record in 887 career appearances with 871 career starts. He also has a 2.43 goals-against-average, and a .918 save percentage, with 64 shutouts. Lundqvist has a career 61-67-0 record in 130 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, with a 2.30 goals-against-average, and a .921 save percentage, with 10 shutouts.
Last season, the 38-year-old played in 30 games with 26 starts for the New York Rangers. He put up a 10-12-0 record with a 3.16 goals-against-average and a .905 save percentage with one shutout. In the playoffs, he went 0-2-0 with a 3.52 goals-against-average, and a .901 save percentage, with no shutouts.
Statement from the Washington Capitals on Henrik Lundqvist pic.twitter.com/PUvwVKTo0n
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 17, 2020
What This Means for the Future
The Capitals were excited to have Lundqvist joining Washington for the upcoming season. With the loss of Braden Holtby early in the off-season, the Swedish goaltender was welcomed by both team and fans.
However, even though this news is heartbreaking for the NHL fans, Lundqvist’s health is the priority. The Capitals can count on Ilya Samsonov, a promising young goaltender who can take care of the job for the team. But, they will need to seek another goaltender before the season starts.
The announcement caught the hockey community off-guard. Lundqvist will be taking time away from the ice to seek treatment. The goaltender is yet to announce if he will return to play in the future or if the 2019-20 was his last as a professional hockey player. Whatever the decision might be, Lundqvist is a respected goaltender amongst the NHL players. He will forever be one of the greatest players from his generation to ever hit the ice.
Main Photo:
