The Capitals have lost winger Andre Burakovsky for the next 6-8 weeks after he had surgery to repair a fractured left thumb. Burakovsky missed 15 games last year with a broken right hand.
Burakovsky started the season on the top line along Nicklas Backstrom and TJ Oshie. After he started the season slow, head coach Barry Trotz moved him down to the third line with Lars Eller and Brett Connolly, where he played for the majority of last year. This move seemed to spark Burakovsky as he scored in the first game with that line against Detroit.