Burakovsky out rest of first round for Capitals against Blue Jackets

ARLINGTON, Va. --Andre Burakovsky will not play for the Washington Capitals for the remainder of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Columbus Blue Jackets because of an upper-body injury and needs minor surgery, coach Barry Trotz said Friday.
Trotz said it is possible the 23-year-old forward would be able to return later in the Stanley Cup Playoffs should Washington advance. The Capitals and Blue Jackets are tied 2-2 in the best-of-7 series heading into Game 5 at Capital One Arena on Saturday (3 p.m. ET; NBC, NBCSN, SN, TVAS).

The Capitals won Games 3 and 4 in Columbus without Burakovsky, who was injured on a hit by Blue Jackets forward Boone Jenner in the first period of Game 2 on Sunday.
Burakovsky missed 19 games from Oct. 26-Dec. 6 after having surgery to repair a fractured left thumb Oct. 24.
RELATED: [Complete Capitals vs. Blue Jackets series coverage]
Burakovsky, the No. 23 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, had 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) in 56 regular-season games and no points in the first two playoff games against Columbus.
Trotz initially played rookie Jakub Vrana in Burakovsky's spot at left wing on the second line with Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie, but eventually moved rookie Chandler Stephenson up from the fourth line to play with Backstrom and Oshie because of his defensive ability.
Stephenson, 23, didn't have any points but played a personal NHL-high (for a regulation game) 17:02 in the Capitals' 4-1 win in Game 4 on Thursday. He averaged 11:52 in ice time and had 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 67 regular-season games.
"If you talk to the real top-end guys, [Stephenson] has the ability to think like a top-end guy in terms of playing with them," Trotz said. "A very intelligent player, he skates extremely well, and he's got some strength through his game and he's been complementing people [with] his ability to play different roles. And his hockey IQ, he plays more of a give-and-go game than an individual game, so I think when you play with those high-skill guys you're able to complement them very well."

Stephenson, a third-round pick (No. 77) in the 2012 NHL Draft, played a few games with Backstrom and Oshie in November when Burakovsky was sidelined but spent most of the season on the fourth line. He began the playoffs centering the fourth line because Jay Beagle was out with an upper-body injury. After Beagle returned for Game 2, Stephenson shifted to left wing on the fourth line.
"It's quite the surreal feel playing with [Backstrom and Oshie]," Stephenson said. "That's something you only dream of growing up watching them, and then playing with them is quite a special feeling. They make the game really easy with their skill set and who they are. All I've got to do is make sure I move my feet and play my game, and they'll find me and make it easy on myself."
Trotz said Stephenson's ability to play multiple positions and either among the top six forwards or the bottom six adds to his value.
"That's something I've tried to become to get myself here, is being as versatile as I could be and just try to be trusted and just be the best I can at any position," Stephenson said.