Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly says that he played hurt for all of last season with the New Jersey Devils and that the team was aware of his injury.

“If I’m being completely honest, I played the whole year hurt,” Smith-Pelly told Isabelle Khurshudyan of 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.”

The Scarborough, Ontario native eventually underwent a procedure towards the end of the season, but came into the year with a knee injury that “got worse and worse and worse to a point where I almost couldn’t move.” Smith-Pelly still appeared in 53 games last season, scoring four goals and adding five assists.

Smith-Pelly says the procedure was something that should have happened sooner than it did.

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

Smith-Pelly, 25, was placed on unconditional waivers by the Devils on June 30 for the purposes of a buyout. After it was completed, he signed with the Caps on a two-way deal on July 2.

Originally taken in the second round of the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft out of the Ontario Hockey League's Mississauga St. Michael's Majors by the Anaheim Ducks, Smith-Pelly has appeared in 266 career games over six seasons with the Ducks, Montreal Canadiens and Devils.

For his career, Smith-Pelly has 33 goals and 44 assists.