Butler expected to miss three weeks

Chris Butler will miss up to three weeks with a left thigh laceration, according to Sportsnet's Roger Millions.

The 25-year-old Flames defenceman suffered a large cut on his left knee when he crashed into the crossbar during Calgary's 6-1 loss to Edmonton on Tuesday night.

Butler was unable to put weight on his leg when he returned to the locker room.

"To lose (Butler) like that, you go down to five defenceman," Flames head coach Brent Sutter told the Calgary Herald. "Our defence, like all our forwards struggled tonight. It just made it more difficult for the five guys that were still playing."

Butler has two goals, 13 points, and minus-3 rating in 30 games this season.

The depleted Flames has have lost a total of 261 man games to injury this season.

According to Sutter, seldom-used defenceman Anton Babchuk is expected to replace the injured Butler in the lineup.

The Flames currently sit in ninth place in the Western Conference and take on the Phoenix Coyotes in a crucial matchup on Thursday.