The Capitals defenseman was holding his back/hip area on his last shift of the game.
WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals are down to five defensemen, as Jakob Chychrun left Tuesday's contest with the New York Rangers early in the first period with an apparent injury.
He suffered an upper-body ailment and will not return, per the Capitals.
Chychrun was backchecking and in a race for the puck with Reilly Smith when, after circling around the net, he appeared to grab his back/hip area while appearing to be in some discomfort. He then went immediately down the tunnel.
He skated just two shifts for a total of 1:50 minutes of ice time.
It's unclear exactly what happened or what the nature of the injury is at this time.
The 26-year-old has been an important part of the mix for the Capitals so far, playing on the top pairing with John Carlson while helping supply defense from the blue line. In eight games, he has two goals and two assists, along with a plus/minus rating of plus-5.
Washington is already without a key member of the blue line, as Matt Roy has missed the last seven games with a lower-body injury sustained in the season opener.
