The Washington Capitals will be without young defenseman Christian Djoos for a while, after he underwent successful surgery on his left thigh. Djoos is out indefinitely as he recovers from the injury sustained against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.
Djoos, 24, became a full-time resident of the Capitals blue line last season after they watched Nate Schmidt leave through the expansion draft and Karl Alzner sign in Montreal. In 63 games the Swedish defenseman recorded 14 points before suiting up 22 times the postseason. Though he would see his minutes diminished during the Capitals Stanley Cup run, he returned this year and has been a staple among the team’s defense corps once again. The seventh-round pick has already made it further than most players drafted that late, and still has yet to really show off his offensive upside.
While he’s out, the Capitals will likely turn to Jonas Siegenthaler on the back end. The 21-year old has looked fine in his five appearances so far this year, and is expected to play a big part in future plans for Washington. Those plans may be coming a bit earlier than expected, but the opportunity is a well-earned one for the second-round pick.