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Laich (groin) out again, expect buyout speculation to grow

San Jose Sharks v Washington Capitals

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 14: Brooks Laich #21 of the Washington Capitals skates down the ice against the San Jose Sharks at the Verizon Center on January 14, 2014 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

G Fiume

Brooks Laich is hurt and unable to play.

Again.

From the Washington Post, ahead of the Capitals’ game tonight in Boston:

Laich aggravated the nagging groin problem that has plagued him over the last two seasons Wednesday night in Philadelphia and, in what isn’t an encouraging sign, the veteran forward did not stay on the road with the team but is on his way back to Washington.

As the end of the season draws closer, expect to hear more chatter about a possible compliance buyout for Laich. Signed through 2016-17 with a cap hit of $4.5 million, the 30-year-old’s contract has become a liability for the club.

One caveat: even if the Caps do want to use their remaining compliance buyout on Laich, there’s always the possibility he’s not healthy enough for them to do so. We’ve seen injuries restrict a team’s ability to buy out players before (see: Martin Havlat in San Jose).

Related: Oates thinks Laich is being ‘hypersensitive’ about groin issues