Vancouver Canucks defenceman Carson Soucy will be out six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury, the NHL team announced Wednesday.
Soucy blocked a shot from Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky early in the second period of Vancouver’s 5-2 win at Montreal on Sunday and did not return to the game.
The 29-year-old Soucy, a six-foot-five, 208-pound defenceman, is in his first season with Vancouver and has two goals and three assists in 13 games.
The Canucks called up defenceman Akito Hirose from the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks on Tuesday as they awaited word on the extent of Soucy’s injury.
Thompson took shot off left wrist
The Buffalo Sabres will be without Tage Thompson for a month if not longer after their top centre had a shot go off his left wrist.
Coach Don Granato didn’t reveal the exact nature of the injury in providing the update following practice Wednesday. Thompson was injured a day earlier when he blocked Boston defenceman Charlie McAvoy’s shot midway through the second period of a 5-2 loss to the Bruins.
“Less than a couple of months is what’s expected,” Granato said. “It’s more week-to-week. I don’t have a targeted date for him yet.”
Thompson entered the game tied for second on the team with both six goals and 12 points. He has topped 37 goals in each of the past two seasons, and he is coming off a year in which he posted career-best numbers with 47 goals and 94 points.
The Sabres (7-8-1) have lost two straight and open a three-game road trip at Winnipeg on Friday night.
Oilers put Holloway, Janmark on long-term IR
The Edmonton Oilers recalled three players from the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors and placed two roster players on long-term injured reserve.
The team recalled forwards Raphael Lavoie, Adam Erne and defenceman Philip Broberg, while forwards Dylan Holloway (lower body) and Mattias Janmark (upper body) were both put on LITR with unspecified injuries.
Holloway was hurt in Monday’s 4-1 win over the New York Islanders, while Janmark hasn’t played since Oct. 26.
The Oilers carried a two-game winning streak into Wednesday’s home contest against the Seattle Kraken.