Alex Ovechkin, Spencer Carbery, and the Washington Capitals are in desperate need for a win in the NHL. Dragging a four-game losing streak, the Caps are in for more trouble as a key forward on the team is out with an injury.
Coming off a career-year during the past NHL campaign, Pierre-Luc Dubois has seemingly lost a gear. After failing to record a point in his first six outings of the new season, Dubois went down with an injury and is now expected to miss considerable time.
“Pierre-Luc Dubois is going to be out for an extended period of time, per Coach Spencer Carbery,” insider Tarik El-Bashir reported on X (formerly Twitter). “Will undergo more testing. Still unclear if he’ll require surgery.”
While Dubois has been kept off the scoresheet in each of his six outings in the current NHL season, he is still a talented player who can help Ovechkin and the Capitals. A player’s impact isn’t just limited to the points total, and Dubois has made good plays for Washington that fly under the radar of stat-watchers.
Pierre-Luc Dubois at UBS Arena on October 11, 2025 in Elmont, New York.
Filling in
Though a winger, Dubois can still line up at the face-off dot and gain possession for the Capitals. So far in the 2025-26 NHL campaign, the former third overall pick registers a 42.3% success rate at the dot. However, it was actually during a draw that Dubois suffered the injury that is now leaving him off the ice.
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“It’s a huge hole. One of the most important players on our roster,” Carbery told reporters. “I’m not going to sit here and sugarcoat it and say that you can replace him at this point in the year. But you can still can be a good hockey team and win a lot of hockey games with injuries. That’s part of the attrition that you need to be able handle in this league. So that’s what we’ll focus on—he’s out now and now we’ll need other players to step up“
Trade alert
The Capitals need to right the ship, and that often means making bold moves in the NHL. For the Caps, however, their latest transaction may be anything but bold. Washington acquired St. Louis Blues defenseman Corey Schueneman in exchange for Calle Rosen. Both players have spent most of their time in the American Hockey League (AHL), and that is unlikely to change as they switch organizations.
From partners to opponents
Shortly after a trade, the Capitals and Blues will face off on Nov. 5 in the 2025-26 NHL season. It’s a must-win for both sides. Washington will enter the game carrying the weight of four straight losses.
As for the Blues, St. Louis is set to face the Edmonton Oilers beforehand—if they lose, they would arrive at Capital One Arena on an eight-game losing streak. Even with a win over Edmonton, the Blues would still come into the City of Monuments with a 2-6-2 record in their last ten outings.
