New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier is considered week to week with injury, coach Sheldon Keefe said Wednesday, hours before his team hosted Philadelphia.
Hischier is out against the Flyers and figures to miss the Devils' game on Sunday at Buffalo, along with potentially another at Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
“(It is) something (trainers will) evaluate again next week and then take it from there, but he won't be available this week, for sure,” Keefe said after the morning skate.
Hischier has been out since minutes after getting cross-checked in the midsection by Montreal’s Nick Suzuki during the teams’ game Saturday. He missed New Jersey's 4-2 loss at Philadelphia on Monday.
The 26-year-old center from Switzerland is the Devils' leading goal-scorer with 24 in 51 games and ranks third on the team with 43 points. The No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft, Hischier has 404 points in 520 career regular-season and playoff games in the NHL.
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.