Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Mikhail Sergachev will be sidelined indefinitely after undergoing surgery Thursday to stabilize fractures to both the tibia and fibula in his left leg.
The team said there’s no definitive timetable for the 25-year-old’s return.
Sergachev was injured during the second period of Tampa Bay’s 3-1 road loss to the New York Rangers on Wednesday night.
Sergachev was playing for the first time since missing the previous 17 games with a leg injury suffered in December.
“It’s super tough. We’ve been through it with a few other guys in the past,” Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman said after the game. “Sergi’s first game back after missing an extended period of time, to see him in such pain, it’s hard. You feel for him and you pray for the best.”
Sergachev has 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) in 34 games this season. The two-time Stanley Cup winner has 257 points (48 goals, 209 assists) in 475 career games.