The defending Stanley Cup champions will be without their No. 1 defenceman for at least a month, and thus placed him on long-term injured reserve Wednesday.
Chicago Blackhawks blueliner Duncan Keith underwent successful surgery to repair a right knee meniscal tear, the club announced Tuesday.
Head team physician Dr. Michael Terry performed the procedure at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
“Duncan underwent successful surgery today to repair his right knee meniscal tear,” Terry said. “The surgery was successful and we expect him to return to full hockey activities in approximately four to six weeks.”
With Keith on long-term injured reserve, salary-cap-tight Chicago receives $5,047,211 in cap relief, estimates GeneralFanager.com.
The unanimous winner of the 2015 Conn Smythe Trophy, Keith again leads all Blackhawks in average time on ice this season, playing 24:21. Through six games, the 32-year-old has two assists and a minus-2 rating.
The loss of Keith is a severe blow to Chicago (3-3-0), which sits in sixth place in a tough Central Division.
Since the two-time Norris Trophy winner began his NHL career, he has never missed more than eight games in a single season (2011-12).