Report: NHL player accuses former team to have him play injured!

When forward Devante Smith-Pelly was placed on unconditional waivers and bought out from his contract by the New Jersey Devils on June 30, he was stunned. He then became a free agent, who got a chance with the Washington Capitals. 

Though he is looking for a fresh start with a new team, DSP is still frustrated about how things went down in Jersey. Smith-Pelly came in hurt with a nagging knee injury and says that's why he wasn't as productive as prior seasons. 

“If I’m being completely honest, I played the whole year hurt,” Smith-Pelly said to the Washington Post. “They knew that. I don’t want to say I was forced to play, but in October I told them, ‘Maybe we should figure this out,’ and then I missed the last [15] games with the same thing. … Everyone saw what happened when I was healthy and playing.”

“I missed the last 15 games after that procedure, so it’s something that we should have probably dealt with earlier,” Smith-Pelly said when the injury got worse and worse. “I won’t get into specifics, but I need my leg to skate.”

DSP now has a chance to crack the Caps' roster and hopes for a different outcome this season.