It has been more than a year since Capitals winger Carl Hagelin has played due to an eye injury. As a result, he spent all of this season on LTIR. However, while his current contract is set to come to an end, the veteran told reporters including NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link) that he’s hopeful that he’ll be able to play next season.
Hagelin, when fully healthy, has been an effective two-way player whose speed was a significant asset. However, his production had tapered off over his last few seasons to the point where he managed just three goals in 53 games last season before being shut down.
While the 34-year-old hasn’t yet been cleared to return from the injury, he indicated that he’s hoping to be cleared later this summer. For now, the plan is for him to skate for a couple of months this summer and then look to make a final decision on his future sometime in August.
Between his decline in production and the uncertainty surrounding his future, Hagelin can certainly afford to be patient in trying to see if he’ll be able to play in 2023-24 as he’s quite likely to be a PTO candidate in training camp if he does get the green light to suit up. Otherwise, he’ll probably be hanging up his skates after a successful 11-year career that saw him collect 296 points in 713 games with five different organizations.