The Washington Capitals fell to the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in a shootout on Friday, but of bigger concern after the game was the status of Ryan Leonard.

Coming off a career-high four points (2g, 2a) against the San Jose Sharks, the rookie Capitals forward absorbed a blindside hit to the head in the first period from Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba as he skated around the net.

Trouba did not receive a penalty from officials, and Leonard sustained an upper-body injury on the play, forcing the Capitals to go with 11 forwards for the rest of the night.

“I mean, I don’t want to get too much into it,” Tom Wilson said postgame. “I honestly haven’t slowed it down, watched it, and analyzed it. I could see it coming. [Trouba] knows exactly what he’s doing. Kid’s in a vulnerable spot, and obviously, Leno’s pretty banged up. I asked him to fight, he said no, and we’ll leave it at that.”

On the telecast, Wilson appeared to challenge Trouba to dance twice in the second period, but the veteran defenseman had no interest in answering for his play.

While speaking to reporters, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery compared the hit to an old-school bodycheck that’s fallen out of favor in today’s NHL due to how predatory in nature it is.

“The thing I don’t like about the hit, so there’s big hits, and guys get hurt. It’s a fast game,” Carbery said. “What I don’t like about that specific hit is that he’s engaged with another player. When Leno’s engaged with — I think it was Gudas behind the net, or whoever he was engaged with — as he was going around the net. So he’s being checked. So to me, that’s now a player looking for someone that’s in a vulnerable spot. And I think those are dicey hits.

“I remember those, where back in the 90s, guys would (go) ‘Look, a guy coming around the net,’ and a winger would go down and try to catch a guy coming around the corner. I just don’t like that part of it. There’s big hits in the game, and that’s just part of the game of hockey. That’s just the one part of that hit that I don’t love.”

The only update Carbery gave about Leonard’s injury was that he would be “out” for a period of time.

“I’m proud of Leno,” Wilson said. “Not many kids get up and skate off the ice after a hit like that. And he’s in there and hanging with the guys. He’s such a good kid. So it sucks to see that, but he’ll be back, and he’s got a long career ahead of him. I’m excited to see him get back and continue on doing special things.”

The Capitals and Ducks will play each other one more time this season, on January 5, 2026, at Capital One Arena.