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Rasmus Sandin will wear number 38 with the Washington Capitals

By Ian Oland

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February 28, 2023 6:21 pm

The Washington Capitals now officially have two defensemen under contract next season after acquiring 22-year-old defenseman Rasmus Sandin in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The Capitals sent pending UFA, Erik Gustafsson, and the first-round pick they acquired from the Boston Bruins to the Leafs for the Swedish rearguard.

Sandin already has his new number with the team. The 2018 first-round pick will wear the number 38 with the Capitals.

According to an Athletic story about the Leafs’ player numbers, Sandin’s main number growing up was no. 14. Sandin wore no. 8 in the minors with the Leafs but Jake Muzzin took the digit in Toronto so he was given 38. In Washington, no. 14 is currently assigned to Hershey Bears forward Shane Gersich, who wore it during Training Camp. Connor McMichael also wears number 14 in Hershey.

Sandin officially becomes the 15th player in Capitals history to wear number 38 and the first since Swedish forward Axel Jonsson-Fjallby did so last season. The Capitals lost AJF before the 2022-23 season due to a waiver claim by the Winnipeg Jets.

The most notable Capitals player to wear number 38 is Jan Bulis, a center who teamed with Richard Zednik in the late 90s and early 00s.

Via Hockey Reference, here are the other Capitals players who have worn 38.

Yves Beaudoin 1987-1988
Dennis Smith 1990
Bobby Babcock 1991
Reggie Savage 1991
Brian Curran 1994
Nolan Baumgartner 1996-2000
Jan Bulis 2001
Todd Rohloff 2002-2004
Jakub Klepis 2006-2007
Cristobal Huet 2008
Graham Mink 2009
Jack Hillen 2013-2015
Dennis Cholowski 2022
Axel Jonsson Fjällby 2022

Craig Smith, who the Capitals acquired from the Boston Bruins, is wearing number 16. He’s the first to wear it since Philippe Maillet during the 2020-21 season.

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