ARLINGTON, Va. -- Washington Capitals winger Andre Burakovsky will have minor surgery to repair an upper-body injury and miss the rest of the first-round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Coach Barry Trotz says Burakovsky could return if the team advances deeper in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Burakovsky was injured in Game 2 on Sunday on a hit by Blue Jackets forward Boone Jenner.
Burakovsky, 23, had been playing in a top-six role for the Capitals in the first round after putting up 12 goals and 13 assists in 56 regular-season games. His absence pushed Chandler Stephenson up the lineup to play alongside Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie.
Stephenson skated a regulation career-high 17:02 in the Capitals' Game 4 victory on Thursday. The Caps now have a 3-2 lead in the series following their 4-3 overtime win on Saturday.