The Washington Capitals were dealt a tough blow on Wednesday after news surfaced that winger Carl Hagelin is going to miss an extended period of time with an eye injury. Hagelin reportedly suffered the injury during Tuesday's practice from an errant stick that caught him up high.

Hagelin reportedly had eye surgery late Tuesday, according to Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan.

Washington currently holds the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 65 points. They are fourth in the Metropolitan Division. Under the relatively new playoff format, the top three teams from each division clinch playoff spots automatically, and the two best remaining records earn the final two spots.

The Capitals have a little breathing room, as the Columbus Blue Jackets are the ninth placed team currently with only 57 points. Columbus does have one game in hand over the Capitals.

Despite playing mostly on the third line, Hagelin is among the team leaders in plus/minus with a +10 this season. He was logging just over 14 minutes of ice time per game. The Capitals left winger has three goals and 11 assists in 53 games this year.

But his presence is felt in the locker room as much as anywhere. He is a veteran forward with Stanley Cup championship experience. He was a member of the the back-to-back titles for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

First things first, with eye injuries the concern is for the players health, as coach Peter Laviolette detailed. “Any time you have an eye injury, there's a concern… First and foremost there's a concern for him and just his well-being. It's unfortunate when something like that happens.”