The Washington Capitals are in action against the New York Rangers at Capital One Arena, rekindling a rivalry that has seen multiple playoff matchups over the years – including last season's opening-round sweep by the Rangers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

But during Tuesday night's game, Washington suffered an unfortunate injury setback regarding a key member of the blue line.

Defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who is in his first year with Washington after being acquired via trade during the offseason, suffered an upper-body injury and has been declared out for the remainder of the game; the team reported the unfortunate setback on their official X account.

According to beat writer Stephen Whyno, Chychrun skated only two shifts in the first period before departing. He appeared to be clutching his lower back as he departed, though the exact nature of his injury has yet to be specified.

Chychrun has appeared in seven games so far this season, registering two goals and two assists along with a +4 rating while averaging 21:13 of ice time per game.

Jakob Chychrun was acquired by the Capitals during the offseason 

Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg (31) makes a save in front of Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) and defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) during the third period at TD Garden.
Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

A native of Boca Raton, Florida, Chychrun was originally taken with the 16th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes. He would play the first seven years of his NHL career with the Coyotes before being dealt to the Ottawa Senators at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline.

Chychrun led all Senators defensemen in scoring in his first full season with Ottawa in 2023-24, scoring 14 goals with 27 assists. He was then dealt to the Capitals on July 1 in exchange for defenseman Nick Jensen.

While with the Coyotes, he signed a six-year, $27.6 million contract with a cap hit of $4.6 million per season. He's appeared in 474 career NHL games with the Coyotes, Senators, and Capitals, scoring 78 goals with 142 assists along with a -65 rating.