Capitals place Sandin on LTIR; Roy on IR
The Washington Capitals are dealing with some injury problems this season.
On Monday, general manager Chris Patrick announced that defenseman Rasmus Sandin has been placed on long-term injured reserve, while fellow blueliner Matt Roy was put on injured reserve. In response, the Capitals have recalled defender Justin Holl from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears.
Sandin’s placement on LTIR is more to free up some salary cap space, as he has been on the shelf since last spring, when he underwent knee surgery to repair a torn ACL, which he suffered in a game on April 11 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Prior to the start of the new season, Patrick told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that the team is optimistic that Sandin will return to action before the turn of the new year.
In his 73 appearances in 2025-26, the 26-year-old scored five goals and 29 points, posted a +4 plus/minus, and averaged 19:12 of ice time per game.
The Swedish rearguard is in the third season of his five-year contract extension, which he signed in March 2024. The deal has a cap hit of $4.6 million through the 2028-29 campaign.
Roy being put on IR is also a paper transaction, as he has been out of the lineup since suffering a lower-body injury during a matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 3, the Caps’ second game of the season. The 31-year-old has yet to notch a point in two games and has an even plus/minus while averaging 18:26 of ice time. Roy is coming off a down 2025-26 campaign, where he failed to reach the 20-point mark for the first time since the COVID-shortened 2021 season, when he was with the Los Angeles Kings.
Holl joined the Capitals on a one-year, two-way contract this past summer, ensuring the organization had depth on the back end. A former NHL regular, the 34-year-old appeared in just nine games with the St. Louis Blues after the Detroit Red Wings traded him to St. Louis in the Justin Faulk deal.
Holl has played three games with the Bears so far this season, registering a -2 rating while having yet to put his name on the scoresheet.
The Capitals (3-2-0) are visiting the rival Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.
