Chicago Blackhawks center Artem Anisimov will miss three to four weeks with a lower-body injury, coach Joel Quenneville said on Wednesday.
The timetable likely shelves him for the rest of the regular season.
Anisimov was injured Tuesday when Montreal Canadiens forward Alexander Radulov fell on his leg as they battled for a puck in the corner. Anisimov stayed down for a while and needed to be helped to his feet and off the ice. He did not put weight on his left leg.
After the game, the 28-year-old was seen in a walking boot.
Losing Anisimov puts a major hole in the Blackhawks' most productive line and creates ripples throughout the lineup.
Rookie Nick Schmaltz will move from wing on the line with Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik to center between Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin.
According the Chicago Sun-Times, rookie John Hayden might get a look on the Toews line, replacing Schmaltz. Hayden just completed his senior season at Yale and signed with Chicago this week.
Other options for the Toews line are Ryan Hartman and Marian Hossa, who played some on the line Tuesday after Anisimov went down.
Anisimov was having a career year. He had equaled his career best with 22 goals and surpassed his top point production with 45 --- with 13 games left to play.
The injury tempered the enthusiasm on a successful night Tuesday. The Hawks beat the Habs 4-2, and with the Wild losing to the Capitals, Chicago leapfrogged Minnesota for the top spot in the West.
