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Capitals Defenseman Rasmus Sandin Begins Rehab & Journey Back From Torn ACL
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- Capitals Defenseman Rasmus Sandin Begins Rehab & Journey Back From Torn ACL
(Geoff Burke — Imagn Images)
Washington Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin took another step on the road to recovery, as he's started to rehabilitate his torn ACL.
Sandin took to social media to document his progress and physical therapy, including stretches and walking with a crutch. Tom Wilson , Brandon Duhaime and several of Sandin's teammates, along with other athletes like Swedish pole vaulter and gold medalist Mondo Duplantis, commented with messages of support.
The 26-year-old tore his ACL in the third-to-last game of the 2025-26 season on April 11, when his skate got stuck in the ice as he took a hit on a pick play from Pittsburgh Penguins forward Justin Brazeau .
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"It was just an unlucky play... I had pretty much all my weight on that leg," Sandin said. "If I could just shift a little bit of my weight to my other leg, I don't think anything maybe would've happened. I haven't really checked the play after, you're just kind of pissed it happened."
Sandin underwent surgery on April 20, and though his timeline will depend on how he progresses, the typical recovery is 6-9 months, which could hold him out until at least January.
With Sandin out long-term, general manager Chris Patrick said the Capitals plan to explore options this summer to address the defense corps and fill Sandin's void. He was playing top-pairing minutes on the right side down the stretch, filling the void left by John Carlson .
Through 73 games this past season, Sandin put up five goals and 24 assists for 29 points, along with a plus/minus rating of plus-4.
