Capitals Lose Rasmus Sandin to Lower-Body Injury After Gritty First-Period Shift
The Washington Capitals were dealt a tough blow Saturday night when defenseman Rasmus Sandin exited the game against the Edmonton Oilers with a lower-body injury. The 25-year-old went down after a gritty, all-effort shift to close out the first period - a sequence that showcased his toughness but ended with him limping off the ice in visible pain.
With about 10 seconds left in the opening frame, Sandin chased down a puck deep in the defensive zone and was taken hard into the boards by Edmonton forward Curtis Lazar. The hit was heavy, and while Sandin was clearly shaken up, he didn’t quit on the play. He managed to stay in position, get back to the point, and come up with a huge block on a Ty Emberson blast from the blue line.
As the horn sounded to end the period, Sandin dropped to the ice in pain. He needed help from teammates Alex Ovechkin and Aliaksei Protas to get off the ice, and he limped down the tunnel with the assistance of the Capitals’ training staff.
Sandin did make a brief appearance on the bench early in the second period, but it was clear he wasn’t right. He stayed off to the side, speaking with athletic trainer Jason Serbus, and never took another shift. Not long after, the team officially ruled him out for the rest of the night.
For Washington, the timing couldn’t be worse. Losing Sandin - a key puck mover and steady presence on the blue line - left the Caps with just five defensemen to try and contain the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. That’s a tall order even with a full roster, let alone when you’re down a top-four blueliner.
Sandin had already made an impact before the injury, picking up an assist on Protas’ game-tying goal in the final seconds of the first period. That helper brought his season totals to two goals and 15 assists over 47 games, along with a plus-5 rating. He’s been a quietly effective contributor on the back end all year, and his absence - even if short-term - will be felt.
The Capitals will hope the injury isn’t serious, but there’s no question Sandin’s willingness to battle through pain and make a key block in a critical moment speaks volumes about his commitment. It was a shift that won’t show up in the highlight reels, but it’s the kind of effort that doesn’t go unnoticed in the locker room.