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Preds lose Stalberg (lower body) for 2-4 weeks

Viktor Stalberg

Viktor Stalberg #25 of the Nashville Predators warms up prior to a game against the Winnipeg Jets at Bridgestone Arena on October 24, 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee. (October 23, 2013 - Source: Frederick Breedon/Getty Images North America)

The Nashville Predators could be without forward Viktor Stalberg to start the regular season.

The Preds have announced that Stalberg suffered a lower-body injury that’ll sideline him for the next two to four weeks, possibly keeping him out of the lineup when Nashville opens its campaign at home against Ottawa on Oct. 9.

Stalberg, 28, appeared to suffer the injury during Monday’s practice and has been off ice ever since. Though he was a disappointment in Nashville last year -- the first of a four-year, $12 million deal -- with just eight goals in 70 games, Stalberg’s one of the club’s best skaters up front and is looking to improve from what can only be described as sub-par campaign.

As for the guy in charge of Stalberg, new Preds head coach Peter Laviolette took an optimistic view of losing the Swedish forward.

“Certainly we don’t want to lose our players for a game or two to four weeks,” Laviolette told The Tennessean. “It’s just part of the game and what happens out there.

“It’s physical. You see it all around the league. Players go down and teams have to handle it.”