For Capitals fans holding out hope for a Braden Holtby reunion in Washington D.C., the latest news out of Dallas may have put an end to such a scenario. 

The Stars announced Tuesday that veteran goalie Anton Khudobin underwent right hip surgery, knocking him out for approximately six months. Holtby, who's only made two starts for Dallas since the beginning of February, is dealing with a lower-body injury. 

Without Khudobin, the Stars are down to two goalies in Holtby and starter Jake Oettinger. Oettinger has emerged as the Stars' primary goaltender this season, posting a 19-8-1 record in 28 starts to go along with a .918 save percentage. 

Holtby had been highlighted as a possible player on the move before the March 21 trade deadline, but now the Stars have much less incentive to send him elsewhere. In 22 starts, Holtby is 10-10-1 with a 2.78 goals-against average. Dallas is also just one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference playoffs.

Goalie had been seen as the Capitals' biggest need at this year's trade deadline -- though that talk has quieted with recent strong play by Vitek Vanecek. But Holtby is an obvious fit given his track record and familiarity with the franchise. If Dallas holds on to Holtby as its primary backup, the Capitals will have to look elsewhere for reinforcements between the pipes.