Harry Lichtman
The Washington Capitals will be without Rasmus Sandin for a while. The defenseman underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee on Tuesday.
The timeline for a typical ACL recovery is six to nine months. Even if the Capitals had made the playoffs, they most likely would have been without Sandin in the lineup. The 38-year-old could possibly return by next January once he recovers.
Sandin suffered the ACL tear on April 11 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. His skate got stuck in the ice as he took a hit from Justin Brazeau, and his leg buckled. The Swedish blueliner couldn’t put weight on his leg and had to be helped off the ice.
“It was an unlucky play,” said Sandin. “I had pretty much all my weight on that leg. If I could just shift a little bit of my weight to my other leg, I don’t think anything maybe would have happened. I haven’t really checked the play after, you’re just kind of pissed it happened.”
Sandin played very well in the 2025-26 season, registering 29 points (5 goals, 24 assists) in 73 games. The blueliner also ranked third on the team in blocks and had a plus/minus of plus-4.
Sandin was also promoted to the top pairing and moved to the right side following the John Carlson trade. However, with the Swede being out for most of 2026-27, general manager Chris Patrick will look to fill the void.
