nsjonline
Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal is expected to be out of action for one to two months after suffering a partially torn calf muscle, head coach Rod Brind'Amour revealed following Monday's morning skate at Lenovo Center.
"Unfortunately, he's got a little tear in his calf," Brind'Amour said. "So it's going to be a long-term injury, anywhere from a month to two months. So not good news there. But we've had a lot of injuries over the years, and we're just going to have to keep figuring it out."
According to Brind'Amour, Staal sustained the injury during warmups prior to Sunday's game against the Flyers in Philadelphia.
Staal has been remarkably durable since joining Carolina, particularly in recent seasons, having missed only 22 regular-season games over the past seven years. He was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy during the Hurricanes' run to the Stanley Cup last season.
Even at 38 years old, Staal remains one of the NHL's premier shutdown centers. He has finished in the top 10 of Selke Trophy voting seven times in his career, and as analytics have become more prevalent, Staal consistently ranks near the top of the league in possession stats despite playing against the opposition's best players most nights.
With Staal out for an extended period, Brind'Amour said he expects the team to call up a player to have an extra forward.
Mark Jankowski filled Staal's spot centering Jordan Martinook and Nikolaj Ehlers for the game in Philadelphia, with Jesperi Kotkaniemi moving to the middle on the fourth line and Nicolas Deslauriers dressing on the wing.
Following Tuesday's home game against the Capitals, Carolina embarks on its annual State Fair road trip, a five-game trek starting Saturday in Winnipeg and winding through western Canada before ending Oct. 24 in St. Louis.
Seth Jarvis, who hasn't played this season while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, is trending toward a return, having last week shed the yellow no-contact jersey he has been wearing since training camp.
With Kotkaniemi playing his natural position on the fourth line, Brind'Amour said recalling a center is not a necessity.
That means one of Bradly Nadeau or Felix Unger Sorum could get the call after not making the team out of camp despite each having a solid preseason.
Originally reported by nsjonline.