The Tampa Bay Lightning placed Victor Hedman on injured reserve Thursday, a move that means the captain and No. 1 defenseman will miss at least the next three games.
Hedman had just gotten back in the lineup last weekend after missing nearly a month because of injury. The soon-to-be 35-year-old Swede left the game Tuesday night at the Canadiens late in the first period and did not return.
Coach Jon Cooper told reporters in Montreal that there was "a little bit of concern" about Hedman's status, implying the previous injury might have been aggravated.
"It's tough to lose the big guy," Cooper said at the time. "He is such an important part of our team, so fingers crossed here."
Hedman won't be eligible to play at New Jersey on Thursday night, at the New York Islanders on Saturday or back home against defending Stanley Cup champion and cross-state rival Florida on Monday night.
He averages over 21 minutes a game, second on the team, and has been a franchise cornerstone for more than a decade, including winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2020 during the first of back-to-back title runs.
The Lightning recalled defenseman Declan Carlile from Syracuse of the American Hockey League to take Hedman's spot on the roster.
Hedman joins fellow two-time Cup champions Andrei Vasilevskiy, Erik Cernak and Ryan McDonagh on IR. Tampa Bay won 17 of its first 30 games this season despite the constant barrage of injuries to top players.
