Dmitry Kulikov will be out six-to-eight weeks after having knee surgery on Monday.
The Florida Panthers defenceman injured his knee in Saturday's 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
It's a major blow for the Panthers as the team is already thin on defence after Ed Jovanovski has a broken hand and will miss the next two months.
The 21-year-old Kulikov ranks second on the Panthers in defenceman scoring with four goals and 24 points in 46 games this season.
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