Carolina Hurricanes will be without captain Jordan Staal for the foreseeable future due a tear in his calf.
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said Tuesday that Staal will miss “anywhere from a month to two months.”
The 38-year-old centre is without a point in six games this season, but was crucial in helping the team win the Stanley Cup last spring, recording six goals and seven points in the Stanley Cup Final to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Staal registered 20 goals and 36 points in 75 games with the Hurricanes last season. He added eight goals and 12 points in 19 playoff games as the Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup since 2006.
Staal signed a one-year, $4.9 million contract extension last month, which holds an addition $5.1 million available in performance bonuses. He carries a cap hit of $2.92 million this season.
Drafted second overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006, Staal has 318 goals and 747 points in 1,409 career games split between the Penguins and Hurricanes.