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Connor Brown Out Long-Term For Capitals

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Washington Capitals

ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals acquired Connor Brown this offseason to help fill the void caused by a myriad of injuries. Now, Brown is out long-term with a lower-body injury.

It is unclear what the exact nature of the injury is, but surgery is an option, per the team. He has gone on the injured reserve.

“We were really excited to have him here and be part of our organization,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “Disappointing for us, disappointing for him. It’s unfortunate.

Brown went down in the Capitals’ Monday win over the Vancouver Canucks after taking a hard hit to the boards from Noah Juulsen. He grabbed at his knee and did not put weight on his right leg as he left the ice and went down the tunnel.

“Sometimes that happens. It doesn’t have to look like it was something that’s devastating,” Laviolette added. “Sometimes things jut happen on the ice, and all of a sudden they have long-term effects to them. So he’ll be missed while he’s out.”

Washington acquired Brown for a 2024 second-round pick in the offseason. The 28-year-old has played several roles to open his tenure in D.C. Brown was skating on the top-6 and also filling in on the first line as the wing opposite Alex Ovechkin. He was also on the second power-play unit and helping take over the penalty kill, which no longer has Carl Hagelin at its disposal.

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Through the first four games with the Capitals, Brown had two shots on goal and one takeaway and is a minus-3 while averaging 16:46 minutes per game, including 1:38 on the PK. Through 448 career games, Brown has dished 90 goals and 126 assists for 216 points. He had 39 points in 64 games last season.

It is a tough situation for the team, who is now with Brown, Tom Wilson, Nicklas Backstrom on the top 6 and now Brown and Hagelin on the penalty kill.

Washington has Connor McMichael and Joe Snively as the extra skaters, and the Capitals also recalled Beck Malenstyn from the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Both will likely draw in at some point and even as soon as Thursday, as the team will be without Brown and Evgeny Kuznetsov, who is serving a one-game suspension for a high stick on Kyle Burroughs.