Canucks’ Josh Leivo out two to three months with fractured kneecap

Vancouver Canucks' Josh Leivo gets hit into the boards before the puck even gets to him and stays down on the ice for a minute before heading to the locker room, no penalty was called on Nick Holden on the play.

Vancouver Canucks forward Josh Leivo will miss two to three months with a fractured kneecap, the team announced Saturday.

The Canucks added that forward Brandon Sutter has an upper-body injury that will likely keep him out until after the holiday break, while forward Michael Ferland is “closer,” but doesn’t have a timeline to return.

Leivo sustained the injury during Thursday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, when Vegas defenceman Nick Holden shoved Leivo into the sideboards. The 26-year-old fell hard and appeared to slam his right knee into the boards as a result of the hit. Play immediately stopped, as both teams skated toward the site of the hit to engage in a scrum.

Leivo, who was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Canucks last December, has been enjoying a career year in his seventh NHL season. The former third-round pick has seven goals and 19 points in 36 games.

Coming off an OT win against the Golden Knights, Vancouver (17-15-4) plays the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

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