Calgary Flames forward Kris Verteeg is on a 'month-to-month' basis after his latest hip injury, the team announced on Friday.
#Flames Injury Update: Kris Versteeg (hip) is month-to-month.
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) December 1, 2017
Versteeg hasn't played for the Flames since Nov. 24 where he first diagnosed with a lower-body. Despite hope that the injury wasn't one that present a lasting effect, Calgary placed the 31-year-old on the injured reserve on Nov. 29, and Garnet Hathaway was recalled from the Stockton Heat.
Versteeg recorded three goals and five assists through the first quarter of the Flames' season. It is modest production from the veteran, but what makes his injury a devastating one for Calgary fans is that their team's top powerplay unit takes a sizable hit.
Out of his eight points, five came on the team's man-advantage. Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan recognizes that moving forward without one of the top components to his team's powerplay contingent will be a difficult task.
"It's going to be an adjustment for us," Gulutzan said. "[Versteeg] was a big part of that."
Since Versteeg's absence from the Flames' lineup, Gulutzan planned to fill the void while keeping Calgary's second unit mostly in tact. That meant forward Mak Jankowski was called to fill the void.
This isn't first time that Verteeg had issue that was hip-related. In 2012, Versteeg — then a member of the Florida Panthers — had a procedure done on his left hip to repair a problem that caused him mobility issues. It's the same issue that contributed to the latest mishap.
"He's had some history with the hip," Flames general manager Brad Treliving told the team's website. "He tweaked it."