Matt Luff is out 10-12 weeks for the Detroit Red Wings with an upper-body injury.
The forward will have wrist surgery Thursday. He left a 3-2 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday after a hit by the Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky at 14:28 of the third period.
“Word this morning is he’ll be out 10-12 weeks,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said.
Luff left the game; Slafkovsky was suspended two games for boarding by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Wednesday.
Lalonde said after the game that Luff sustained a significant injury. Detroit is also without forward Filip Zadinasidelined 6-8 weeks with a lower-body injury.
“That’s the exact play we try to avoid, and that’s why,” Lalonde said. “A player got seriously injured.”
Zadina was hit on the right leg by a shot with 5:19 left in the third of a 3-0 win against the New York Islanders on Nov. 5. Forwards Tyler Bertuzzi (upper body), Robby Fabbri (knee) and Oskar Sundqvist (upper body), and defenseman Jake Walman (shoulder surgery) are also out.
Lalonde said Tuesday he projects Bertuzzi and Walman returning in 7-10 days. Walman had offseason surgery, Bertuzzi has been out since the second game of the season and they were on the ice with Fabbri and Sundqvist for the morning skate prior to the loss to Montreal.
Sundqvist is expected to return when the Red Wings host the New York Rangers on Thursday (7 pm ET; BSDET, MSG, ESPN+, SN NOW). Lalonde said Bertuzzi is more likely to play at the Anaheim Ducks next Tuesday. Detroit begins a four-game road trip against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
“We hope to have ‘Bert’ on the West Coast trip sometime,” Lalonde said. “He’s an elite scorer, our best scorer. As great as our defense has been and chances against, our chances have been down, which is understandable. He would help, obviously. [with] some offense.”
Forward Jakub Vrana is in the NHL/NHLPA players assistance program.
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