Vilmanis exits in first period with injury against Capitals

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sandis Vilmanis suffered an undisclosed injury and will not return for the Florida Panthers during their Saturday afternoon matchup with the Washington Capitals.

The injury occurred in the first period at Capital One Arena when Vilmanis cleared the puck out of the zone and was then sent crashing into the boards by Capitals forward Tom Wilson.

After being looked at by a trainer, Vilmanis went to the locker room.

A violent and unnecessary hit, Wilson, who has previously been suspended six times by the NHL Department of Player Safety, was an ejected from the game as a result after a quick review.

On the ensuing five-minute power play, Brady Tkachuk scored to put the Panthers up 2-1.

Fresh off notching a career-high four points (2G, 2A) in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, Vilmanis, who made his NHL debut and played in 19 games in 2025-26, has already reached a new career-high with seven points (3G, 4A) this season.

Stay tuned for an update following the game.