Carolina will be without captain Eric Staal for a second straight game on Tuesday against Buffalo, head coach Kirk Muller confirmed.
Staal, believed to be hurt last Thursday against the Capitals, left Saturday’s game against the Islanders with the injury (after just 9:48 TOI) and didn’t play in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Nashville. The ‘Canes have already called up forward Aaron Palushaj from AHL Charlotte as a replacement, and today confirmed Staal won’t travel with the club to Buffalo.
Staal, 29, currently leads the ‘Canes with 35 points in 42 games. An original diagnosis from Muller suggested the captain could miss a week of action with the ailment, so it’s not believed to be serious -- that said, Hockey Canada is set to announce its roster for the 2014 Winter Olympics on Tuesday and Staal, a member of the gold medal-winning side in ’10, is projected to be in the mix for a spot.