Capitals’ Rasmus Sandin out long-term after undergoing surgery
The Washington Capitals announced on Wednesday that defenseman Rasmus Sandin underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL that he suffered during an April 11 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The team did not put a specific timeline on Sandin’s return to action, but noted that the typical recovery from ACL repair surgery runs from six to nine months. Even if the Swede’s recovery were to land on the front end of that timeline, Sandin would not be ready for training camp or Opening Night of the 2026-27 season.
#Caps defenseman Rasmus Sandin underwent a surgical procedure Tuesday to address the ACL tear in his right knee. Sandin sustained the injury on April 11 against Pittsburgh. A return-to-play timeline will be determined by his individual progression, with typical recovery from this
Sandin, the No. 29 overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, was dealt to Washington in 2023 before signing a five-year contract extension with the Caps that carries a salary cap hit of $4.6 million and runs through the 2028-29 season.
Sandin had been a picture of good health over the last two seasons prior to this injury. In 2024-25, he appeared in all 82 games while putting up 30 points and skating to a plus-13 rating as the Capitals earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
This year, he played in 73 contests before missing the rest of the year after tearing his ACL, recording 29 points on 5 goals and 24 assists with a plus-4 rating on an average of 19:12 of time on ice per game.
While Sandin played well once again, Washington did not enjoy the same level of success as it did a year ago, as the Caps missed out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs altogether in a loaded East after going 43-30-9, a record that would have been good enough for first place in the Pacific Division.
The main question hanging over Washington this offseason is the future of captain Alex Ovechkin, who got a sort of half-baked retirement tour as the season wound down, though he said last week that he still hopes his NHL career is not over.