Matt Roy To Miss 'Decent Amount Of Time'; How Capitals Will Fill The Void

Though defenseman Matt Roy is listed as day-to-day, the Washington Capitals are anticipating that he'll be missing a bit more than just one game.

Per head coach Spencer Carbery, Roy will be out for a bit as he deals with a lower-body injury.

"I don't think it's going to be crazy long, but he's going to miss a decent amount of time," Carbery told reporters on Monday.

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Roy was injured in the second period of Washington's season-opening loss to the New Jersey Devils. It's unclear what happened, but he did not return to the ice after skating just 8:39 minutes and registering two shots on goal. He was a minus-2 in his Washington debut.

The 29-year-old blueliner signed a six-year deal to join the Capitals this summer, and he is one of the team's most reliable pieces as he plays a shutdown role with Martin Fehervary on the second defensive pairing.

With Roy out, Washington will turn to fellow right-handed defenseman and 6-foot-5 veteran Dylan McIlrath to pair up with Fehervary and help fill that void. The rest of the defensive pairings will remain the same for D.C. while Alex Alexeyev will be the extra defenseman.

Related: Capitals Lines See Major Shakeup As Ovechkin Moves To Right Wing & Vrana Slots In

McIlrath made the NHL opening night roster after an impressive training camp, marking the first time that he made a team out of camp in eight years.

The Capitals return to play on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights, where McIlrath will make his season debut. Jakub Vrana will also draw into the lineup, while Logan Thompson will start against his former club.

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