Washington Capitals center Jason Arnott has some sort of “undisclosed injury,” and his initial status was reportedly “week-to-week.”
If that’s the case, Caps fans have an injury that is “week-to-week” as well, but it’s not undisclosed.
Call it a broken heart.
The Caps may have won their ninth straight game Tuesday night, an impressive 4-2 victory over the Canadiens in Montreal, without Arnott even on the road trip, let alone on the ice.
But if you have watched this team this season and are looking for reasons that the Caps have gone from struggling to dominating, you would look no further than the arrival of Arnott.
General manager George McPhee appears to have drawn a winning hand at the NHL trading deadline, acquiring Arnott and defenseman Dennis Wideman.
As of Tuesday night, the Caps had not lost since they arrived. Both have changed the dynamic of the team, but Arnott’s arrival changed the personality of what was perceived before as a talented but rudderless squad.
If you believe that Washington’s biggest problem was the lack of a Stanley Cup veteran presence who would have a voice in the locker room, then Arnott’s “undisclosed” injury is heartbreaking if it is something that lingers into the playoffs.
Arnott, who has anchored the second line at center, fills the void left by the departure of Sergei Fedorov two years ago. He has reportedly become a mentor of sorts to Alexander Semin, and has a resume — a former team captain and Stanley Cup winner with nearly 1,200 NHL games — that commands respect in the locker room.
“When [Arnott] first came here, the one thing I thought is he could talk to [Semin],” coach Bruce Boudreau said last week. “And there was definitely a respect before he got here because of what he’s accomplished in this game. So maybe he’s listening, and maybe Arnott is just the right tonic for him.”
This is a curious component of success in sports — the championship veteran presence. You hear coaches and general managers in all sports talk about bringing players into their locker rooms who have championship rings. The notion is they will serve as role models for those who have not gotten title jewelry yet, as if winning is some sort of secret known only to winners.
It may simply be a case, however, of one guy whom others follow as he declares business as usual no longer will be tolerated.
The Stanley Cup playoffs don’t begin for four weeks, and Tuesday in Montreal, Boudreau told reporters that Arnott could miss at least three games — which is more reassuring than the initial “week-to-week” prognosis. But injuries are like state secrets in hockey, and we don’t really know what is ailing Arnott and whether it will impact his play when he does return.
Arnott is in good company on the sideline, with Mike Green’s concussion, Nicklas Backstrom’s thumb, Tom Poti’s groin and goaltender Semyon Varlamov’s knee injuries. It is perhaps a testament to the grit the Caps have found late in the season that they have sustained this run of excellence with key players sidelined.
That grit, though, may be back home in Washington with an “undisclosed” injury.
Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
