Desharnais, who underwent appendectomy surgery, was placed on injured reserve Thursday, per Sammi Silber of The District Standard.
Desharnais' timetable was previously established to be 4-6 weeks, so putting him on IR makes perfect sense. Washington now has a free roster spot to summon a player from the minors. Desharnais has three assists, 11 PIM, 22 hits and 14 blocks in nine appearances in 2026-27. Dylan McIlrath has been a healthy scratch in each of Washington's past four games, but he might play regularly during Desharnais' absence.