(Nick Wass/Associated Press)
When defenseman John Carlson suffered an undisclosed lower-body injury after Christmas, the Washington Capitals took a hit. The blue line was already depleted, with Brooks Orpik also out with an injury at the time. Missing Carlson from the lineup wiped out the team’s top pair entering the season and significantly increased the load on Karl Alzner and Matt Niskanen.
For Carlson, a serious injury at the NHL level was a foreign experience. At the time, he had played 412 consecutive games, and while he may have been banged up during that stretch, he didn’t miss any time.