Nashville Predators veteran defenceman Ryan Ellis will be out of the lineup for several months after undergoing surgery on his lower body, the team announced on Thursday. 

General manager David Poile is hopeful Ellis will be able to return by January.

The 26-year-old scored 16 goals and added 22 assists over 71 games with the Preds in 2016-17, his sixth year with the club. Ellis added five goals and eight assists over 22 games in the playoffs as Nashville made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final that they lost in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Selected 11th overall by the Predators in 2009, Ellis has 46 goals and 95 assists over 352 career games in Nashville. 

The Hamilton native helped Canada win the gold medal at the 2009 world junior championship as well as the World Cup in 2016.

In other injury news, Predators forward Nick Bonino will not play in any preseason games, but could potentially play opening night.