Vokoun could be done for Caps, report suggests

Washington Capitals goalie Tomas Vokoun's groin injury is serious enough that he could be done for the season and playoffs, according to a report.

Capitals beat reporter Chuck Gormley of CSN.com reported Sunday that Vokoun has a serious injury. The veteran netminder re-injured his groin in a game Thursday against Boston.

He's appeared in just 12 of the team's 29 games since Feb. 4 due to the nagging ailment.

The Capitals signed Vokoun to a one-year, $1.5 million US contract last summer, a move widely praised given the price tag for a goalie with eight seasons of experience as a No. 1 NHL goalie. Vokoun played the waiting game and cost himself salary, as there were very few teams looking for netminders.

Vokoun is 25-17-2 with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage this season, decent stats that belie an inconsistent season for a team that was expected to be a leading contender but is instead fighting just to make the playoffs.

The 35-year-old has appeared in just 11 playoff games in his career, and a postseason drought since 2007 could continue. He previously starred with Nashville and Florida after debuting with Montreal in a one-game cameo in 1996-97.

He is an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Capitals went two points up on Buffalo for eighth place in the East after winning at Montreal on Saturday, coupled with a Sabres loss in Toronto.

Washington still has a shot at catching struggling Florida to finish third in the conference as Southeast Division winners, however. They are just two points behind the Panthers and hold the first standings tiebreaker over Florida.

The Caps finish the season this week with games against Tampa Bay (Monday), Florida (Thursday) and the New York Rangers (Saturday).