Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan provided an update on center Nic Dowd after Thursday’s press conference introducing new head coach Spencer Carbery. Speaking with several members of the media, MacLellan revealed that Dowd has undergone a surgical procedure on his core but is expected to recover before training camp.

Dowd suggested that surgery could be on the horizon during his Breakdown Day interview. He missed the final three games of the season with an undisclosed injury.

Caps GM Brian MacLellan said Nic Dowd had a core procedure after the season and will be ready for start of camp on September.

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) June 1, 2023

“I mean I’m still dealing with some things,” Dowd said back in April. “Have some stuff going into the offseason I’m sure you guys will hear about.”

At the time, Dowd told reporters that he and the team’s medical staff weren’t sure whether surgery would be required. Besides missing the end of the season, Dowd had seen an extended absence earlier in the season, missing 16 games after a big hit from Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck.

Despite his injuries and the team’s middling performance, Dowd had a landmark year, setting a career high in goals (13) and points (25) while seeing significant time with the Capitals’ special teams. The team’s early start to the offseason did provide something of a silver lining, giving Dowd more time to recover before returning to play in the fall

“The only benefit [to missing the playoffs] would be to obviously get healthy,” he said. “But I don’t think that anybody wants–I would trade that in to get into the payoffs.”

Dowd isn’t the only Caps player who has gone under the knife this offseason. TJ Oshie underwent a minor procedure immediately after the end of the season to address a lingering back injury.

Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB