Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith announced Saturday that defenceman Nikita Zaitsev will miss approximately four weeks with a heel injury.

Zaitsev logged just over four minutes of ice time against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday before leaving with a lower-body injury.

"Looks like he's going to miss some time here with a heel injury," Smith told reporters. "We don't know the exact timeline, but somewhere around that four-week range.

"It hurts us defensively. I think he was playing probably as good as he's played. Him and (Thomas Chabot) were really meshing together." 

Zaitsev has one goal and one assist in 22 games this season.

Smith indicated that Jacob Bernard-Docker would draw into the lineup in place of Zaitsev.