Caps defenseman Matt Niskanen placed on long-term injured reserve; Madison Bowey recalled.
NEWARK — Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen has been placed on long-term injured reserve after he seemed to injure his left hand in Friday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils. On long-term injured reserve, Niskanen will miss at least the next 10 games and 24 days, but Washington was able to clear enough salary cap space to recall right-shot defenseman Madison Bowey Saturday morning.
In the second period of Washington’s game Friday night, Niskanen was slashed on the stick by Devils forward Jimmy Hayes. Niskanen returned to the bench in pain, taking the glove off his left hand to examine it.
He went to the locker room before the second intermission, and was then ruled out for the third period. Niskanen was seen with a wrap around his hand after the game. Niskanen is Washington’s top blue-liner, so his loss is a blow to the Capitals, already thin on defense after the offseason departures of Karl Alzner, Nate Schmidt and Kevin Shattenkirk.
