Capitals’ Logan Thompson out day-to-day with upper-body injury
Not the best news for a team trying to get back into the playoff race, or for a country about to pursue a gold medal.
When speaking to the media on Thursday, Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery stated that goaltender Logan Thompson is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Logan Thompson is day to day with an upper body injury, Spencer Carbery says. He was hit in the mask with a shot during the game against Seattle on Wednesday
In response, the Capitals called up goaltender Clay Stevenson from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears.
Though Carbery didn’t specify what exactly is ailing Thompson, there was an instance during the Capitals’ game against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night where Thompson was hit in the mask by a shot. He didn’t exit the game, instead giving up five goals on 32 shots in a 5-1 defeat, marking the team’s sixth loss in its past seven games.
Washington has certainly not been as strong as it was last season, when the team finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference, but Thompson has been steady. The Calgary native is 18-16-4 in 38 starts, posting a 2.46 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage and two shutouts.
Though the timeline for Thompson’s return is uncertain, many hope the injury isn’t severe enough that he could be out of action past the beginning of the Olympic break. The 28-year-old was named to Canada’s men’s Olympic roster for the first time in his career, joining the likes of Jordan Binnington and Darcy Kuemper.
Stevenson has appeared in just one NHL game in his career. It came last April against the Pittsburgh Penguins, where the 26-year-old allowed five goals on 38 shots in a losing effort. With Hershey this season, Stevenson has a record of 11-8-3 with a 2.57 GAA and a .912 SV%.
The Capitals (25-22-7) are sixth in the Metropolitan Division, eight points back of the last Wild Card spot in the East.