Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny will be out for 4-6 months after undergoing surgery to help repair a torn left hamstring, the team announced on Tuesday. Kempny left the second period of the Capitals’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 20 after being on the receiving end of a hit delivered by Lightning forward Cedric Paquette in a scrum.
Caps defenseman Michal Kempny underwent a successful surgery to repair a torn left hamstring. Kempny is expected to miss 4-6 months.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) April 2, 2019
He will miss the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and could miss some of the 2019-20 season.
Without Kempny, defenseman Christian Djoos has skated in his spot next to John Carlson on the defensive top-pairing the past two games. Defenseman Nick Jensen, who was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings on February 22, has also seen some time next to Carlson recently.
Kempny leads the Capitals with a +24 rating and has set career-highs with six goals and 25 points while averaging 19:11 worth of ice-time per game. Losing him is a huge blow for the Capitals.
Defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler was recalled by the Capitals from the AHL’s Hershey Bears after Kempny went down and is currently the team’s seventh defenseman, though he could get some time in the final two games if the Capitals decide to rest a few of their defenseman.
Kempny missed two preseason games and the first two games of the regular season with a concussion suffered from a hit by St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo on September 25.
He posted two goals, five points, and a +1 rating while playing all 24 games in the Capitals’ run to the Stanley Cup last season.
By Harrison Brown