Blackhawks' Marcus Kruger Out 4 Months After Wrist Surgery

(CBS) Blackhawks forward Marcus Kruger is expected to miss at least four months after having surgery Friday to repair a dislocated wrist.

The surgery went as planned, team physician Michael Terry said. The timetable of four months was for returning to hockey activities, so Kruger could certainly be sidelined even longer from game action. The playoffs start about four months from now, so Kruger likely won't play the rest of the regular season. The Blackhawks are currently tied for third in the Central Division.

Kruger suffered the injury to his left wrist in Thursday's win against Edmonton. Earlier Friday, the Blackhawks recalled 22-year-old forward Phillip Danault from AHL Rockford.

The Blackhawks could place Kruger on the long-term injured reserve. If they did so, that would provide them about $1.5 million in cap relief, according to 670 The Score's Jay Zawaski.

Kruger has one point in 33 games this season. He was a key member of Chicago's Stanley Cup-winning team last summer and has long been a central figure on the team's penalty kill.