The Boston Bruins' biggest potential threat in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs just took a major hit.
Andrei Svechnikov, the Carolina Hurricanes' second-leading points scorer, will have season-ending knee surgery Thursday, according to Chris Johnston of TSN.
The 22-year-old injured his right knee in Carolina's loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. In a statement Monday night, Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell said Svechnikov had an MRI and further consultation with doctors before the decision was made.
Svechnikov is tied for second among team skaters with 55 points and third with 23 goals, helping lead the Hurricanes to a 43-14-8 record through 65 games, which is tied for the second-best points total (94) in the NHL behind the record-setting Bruins.
The Bruins and Hurricanes have split their season series at one game apiece, though Svechnikov was instrumental in helping Carolina knock off Boston in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Hurricanes have 17 games remaining on their schedule before the start of the postseason. Initial results during and after the Svechnikov injury haven't been pretty, as Carolina has been outscored 7-0 in its last two games.
