The Capitals anticipate veteran left-winger Carl Hagelin to miss an extended amount of time with an eye injury he suffered in practice March 1. GM Brian MacLellan announced Monday that Hagelin would be undergoing a second surgery on the eye with no timetable set for his return to the ice.

Head coach Peter Laviolette spoke with 106.7 The Fan’s Sports Junkies on Wednesday morning about his concern for Hagelin and the forward’s long-term health.

“With another surgery coming up, we’re hopeful that everything…with regard to his vision and his rest of his life and the game of life, that’s the most important thing,” Laviolette said. “Such a great person in our room and a great player, we certainly miss him. But that’s kind of secondary right now to what he’s dealing with and so hopefully things stay positive…but he still has more work to do with regard to the eye.”

Hagelin, 33, appeared in 53 games for Washington this season before the injury, tallying three goals and 11 assists while providing solid defense on the other end. He’s been with the Capitals for the last four years, joining the team midway through the 2018-19 campaign. The Swedish native has since appeared in at least 50 games each of the last three seasons.

Over the last three weeks, Hagelin’s spot on the fourth line has been handled by rookie Axel Jonsson Fjallby, who scored his first NHL goal March 15 against the New York Islanders. However, the Capitals’ trade deadline acquisition Johan Larsson could see some time there as well once he joins the team.