Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny left Wednesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning after being dragged awkwardly down to the ice by Cedric Paquette.
Kempny struggled to get over the Capitals bench, and appeared to not put any pressure on his left leg. The Capitals called the injury “lower body” in nature and said Kempny would not return.
After the game, Capitals head coach Todd Reirden gave an update and did not sound particularly optimistic.
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#Caps head coach Todd Reirden talks with the media after a 5-4 OT/loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning. #ALLCAPS #CapsBolts pic.twitter.com/GMwqNe02rc
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“I think at this point it’s safe to say he’s going to miss some time,” Reirden said. “We’ll find out some more tomorrow. That’s how we’ll leave it for right now.”
The Capitals have a scheduled day off Thursday before the team’s morning skate ahead of their game Friday against the Minnesota Wild.
If the injury keeps Kempny out long term, the Capitals will likely turn to Christian Djoos to replace him in the lineup. The Capitals can also call up a reserve from Hershey. Jonas Siegenthaler got rave reviews with the Capitals during a 25-game stint earlier in the year and is the most likely candidate.
Kempny has skated on the second pairing with John Carlson for a majority of the season. He has six goals and 19 assists in 71 games.
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