Photo: NHL via Getty Images

Washington Capitals head coach Todd Reirden told the media that a lot of players who were able to play in the team’s past two games are “banged-up” and ill after their 6-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.

Reirden emphasized there were more guys other than Tom Wilson (lower body, left midway through warmups), Christian Djoos (upper body, could not complete the game) and Michal Kempny (illness, who did not travel) that are banged up/sick in the room.

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) December 29, 2019

Forward Tom Wilson (lower-body injury), who left Friday night’s 2-1 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets after getting hit by center Ryan McInnis but returned, started to take pregame warmups but exited after a few moments and did not play. Defenseman Michal Kempny has not played the past two games due to illness and didn’t even travel with the team to Raleigh.

In addition, defenseman Radko Gudas has played the past two games but while under the weather. He was labeled as a game-time decision against the Blue Jackets after not taking the morning skate on Friday.

Defenseman Christian Djoos, who was recalled from the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Friday and suited up the past two games with Kempny out, left Saturday’s loss with an upper-body injury and did not return. Reirden told reporters after the game that Kempny is not certain to return on Tuesday afternoon when the Capitals are next in action against the New York Islanders at Capital One Arena (1 PM ET, NBC Sports Washington).

The Capitals hold their first practice since before the NHL’s Holiday Break at 10:30 AM at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Monday, so more news on the injury and illness front could be announced then.

By Harrison Brown