The Capitals will be without Dowd for at least the next two games.

The Washington Capitals got an update on the Nic Dowd front, as Spencer Carbery shared that the 33-year-old is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

He will not travel to Florida and will miss the next two games. Aliaksei Protas will fill in at center in his place, while Pierrick Dube earned a call up to the NHL roster.

Dowd left Tuesday's 6-2 win over the New Jersey Devils late in the first period. His last shift came with just over two minutes left, and he took a couple of bumps in the offensive zone before skating off before his linemates.

Losing Dowd is a tough blow to the Capitals, as he plays a crucial role as one of their most reliable forwards at both ends of the ice. He is the catalyst on the powerhouse fourth line and takes the majority of the defensive zone draws for D.C. while also helping provide pressure on the forecheck. Dowd also logs heavy minutes and is the team's top forward on the penalty kill.

Not only that, but Washington was already down a top center, as Evgeny Kuznetsov remains away from the team indefinitely while receiving care from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

Dowd was also rumored to be a potential trade chip for the Capitals given his versatility and coachability. However, his injury makes things uncertain going forward.

Through 45 games this season, Dowd has eight goals and eight assists for 16 points. He leads all Capitals with a plus/minus of plus-8.