Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko is out indefinitely after undergoing jaw surgery, the team announced Monday.
Marchenko broke his jaw when an errant puck struck him on the bench during the second period of Columbus' 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on Sunday. He logged an assist in 11:19 minutes of ice time before departing.
The 24-year-old leads Columbus with 21 tallies in 53 games and ranks second on the team with 55 points behind star defenseman Zach Werenski. No other Blue Jacket has hit the 20-goal mark this season.
Marchenko is also a league-leading plus-31 on the Jackets, who have a plus-one goal differential.
The Russian is in the first season of a three-year extension with a team-friendly cap hit of $3.85 million. He signed the pact in July after recording his second straight 20-goal campaign.
Columbus selected Marchenko in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft.
The Blue Jackets entered Monday's action in the second wild-card spot of the Eastern Conference with a 26-20-7 record.
