"It's been an issue that's lingered, that he's played with and has gotten worse as the time has gone on and it's at a bad point right now," Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said Sept. 22.
The forward did not participate in training camp or play in the preseason. Washington hosts the Boston Bruins in its season opener at Capital One Arena on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; TNT, SN NOW).
"I hope [it's] a good recovery for Carl. He's such a good guy and such an important part of the team," coach Peter Laviolette said Tuesday. "He was an important part of that line with [Nic] Dowd and [Garnet] Hathaway. He brought speed and tenacity. He was one of our top penalty-killers. So we'll certainly miss him on the ice, but then again you hope that everything just progresses well from where he's at right now and continues to get better."
The Capitals also are without forwards Nicklas Backstrom, who is out indefinitely following resurfacing surgery on his left hip, and Tom Wilson, who is not expected back before December after having surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Hagelin was working to return from a left eye injury sustained when he was struck with a stick blade during practice March 1. The 34-year-old said after last season that the choroid in the back of his eye was ruptured and that he won't regain full vision but hoped to play this season after having two surgeries.
"I think it's still improving, so it's inconclusive at this point where he's at," MacLellan said Sept. 22 of Hagelin's vision. "He'll have some time here because of [his hip] to heal and see where it goes."
Hagelin is in the final season of a four-year, $11 million contract ($2.75 million average annual value) he signed with Washington on June 16, 2019. He can become an unrestricted free agent when it expires.
He had 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 53 games last season. A sixth-round pick (No. 168) in the 2007 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers, Hagelin has 296 points (110 goals, 186 assists) in 713 NHL regular-season games with the Rangers, Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings and Capitals. He has 50 points (22 goals, 28 assists) in 141 Stanley Cup Playoff games and helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017.
