Lundqvist has been diagnosed with a heart condition that will force him sit out the entire 2020-21 campaign, he posted on social media Thursday.
Lundqvist was preparing to play his first season outside the Big Apple after signing a one-year deal with the Capitals. King Henrik was slated to enter the season as the No. 2 option behind Ilya Samsonov (undisclosed) but would have provided the club with some important veteran security during a truncated season that may include plenty of back-to-backs on the schedule. The netminder should be expected to spend the year on long-term injured reserve while Vitek Vanecek and Pheonix Copley compete for the backup job.