The 31-year-old has missed four games this season, including three due to illness.
The Washington Capitals, who were already operating without Sonny Milano, will now be without Evgeny Kuznetsov for Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Kuznetsov is sick and will not play, per the team. The 31-year-old practiced on Wednesday and made the trip. This will be the fourth game he's missed this year, and his third due to illness.
In 22 games this season, Kuznetsov has five goals and six assists, including points in two of his last three games after being a healthy scratch back on Dec. 4 against the Arizona Coyotes.
With Kuznetsov out, Matthew Phillips is drawing into the lineup and will take his place as the third-line center. However, given Phillips is a natural winger, expect Dylan Strome, Connor McMichael and Nic Dowd to help out there.
The third line will also see another change, as Joe Snively subs in for Milano, who is on the injured reserve with an upper-body ailment suffered over the weekend.
Here are the line combinations:
Alex Ovechkin-Dylan Strome-Tom Wilson
Aliaksei Protas-Connor McMichael-Anthony Mantha
Joe Snively-Matthew Phillips-T.J. Oshie
Beck Malenstyn-Nic Dowd-Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Martin Fehervary-John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin-Trevor van Riemsdyk
Joel Edmundson-Nick Jensen
Charlie Lindgren will get the start, with Darcy Kuemper backing up.
Puck drop is at 7 p.m. ET at Wells Fargo Center.