New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier is week-to-week with an upper-body injury, coach Sheldon Keefe announced Wednesday.
Hischier was injured after taking a cross check up high by Montreal captain Nick Suzuki during the second period of the Devils’ 4-3 overtime win Saturday. The forward returned to the ice for one shift in the third before retreating to the locker room.
He missed Monday’s 4-2 loss to the Flyers.
“It’s something I think they’ll evaluate again next week and then take it from there,” Keefe said. “But he won’t be available this week for sure.”
Hischier will miss Wednesday’s game against the Flyers and figures to miss games at Buffalo (Sunday) and at Pittsburgh (Tuesday).
Hischier, 26, leads the team in goals (24) to go along with 19 assists in 51 games this season. He is second among forwards with an average ice time of 20:21. He has 396 points (160 goals, 236 assists) in 503 career games since being selected by the Devils with the first overall pick of the 2017 NHL draft.
New Jersey is already without top goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who is in the middle of missing 4-6 weeks with a lower-body injury. Hischier, Markstrom and Keefe helped the Devils start 28-18-6 to get into a playoff spot after failing to qualify last season.
Field Level Media and The Associated Press contributed to this report.