Brooks Laich will not travel with the Washington Capitals on their three-game, six-day Western Canada trip because of what the team is calling an upper-body injury, coach Barry Trotz said Monday.
Laich appeared to injure his left shoulder in a collision with Florida winger Shawn Thornton in the third period of the Capitals’ 2-1 shootout victory on Saturday. Trotz said that because Laich is unable to join the team for the trip, the current plan is to place Laich on injured reserve, which would leave him eligible to return for Washington’s home game against Detroit on Oct. 29.
“I think we’re looking at probably the first game back [from] the trip,” Trotz said. “Not too serious, but serious enough where I don’t think he’ll be quite effective for us in the three games.”
Laich, whose lone point was an assist Thursday in the Capitals’ victory over New Jersey, had played in all five games this season after missing large portions of the previous two with a nagging groin injury. Dating to the end of the 2011-12 regular season, Laich has played in only 65 of 142 regular-season and playoff games.
Jay Beagle, who has been on injured reserve with his own upper-body ailment, will be added to the active roster prior to the trip and, Trotz said, will assume Laich’s role as the second-line right wing. Beagle sustained that injury — the exact nature of which is not clear — during the Capitals’ preseason game at Montreal on Sept. 28.
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.