Capitals forward Carl Hagelin will be out for an extended period of time with an injury to his left eye. Hagelin suffered the injury in practice Tuesday when a stick caught him up high. He had to be helped off the ice with a towel pressed to his eye.

"I think any time you have an eye injury, there's a concern," head coach Peter Laviolette said. "First and foremost there's a concern for him and just his well-being. It's unfortunate when something like that happens. And then secondly with regard to our team, he's certainly a player that we're going to miss. He's counted on for a lot of different roles."

Hagelin is the second-leading forward in shorthanded ice time per game on the team. His real impact, however, has been on the fourth line as the trio of Hagelin, Nic Dowd and Garnet Hathaway have been one of the team's most consistent lines, despite Washington's struggles over the past two months.

"That line has been excellent," Laviolette said. "I think he's one of the top penalty killers in the league. And so when you take a piece like that out of your lineup, you're going to feel it and somebody else is going to have to step up."