NEWARK, N.J. — The captain of the New Jersey Devils, Nico Hischier, has been deemed week to week due to an injury, as stated by coach Sheldon Keefe on Wednesday, just prior to the team’s match-up with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Hischier will miss the game against the Flyers and is also expected to be sidelined for the Sunday game against Buffalo, along with a possible absence from the following Tuesday’s game in Pittsburgh.

“It is something that the trainers will reassess next week, and then we’ll take it from there, but he definitely won’t be available this week,” Keefe noted following the morning skate.

The Swiss center has been out since suffering a cross-check to the midsection from Montreal’s Nick Suzuki during their game last Saturday. He also sat out during New Jersey’s 4-2 defeat against Philadelphia on Monday.

At 26 years old, Hischier is currently the leading goal-scorer for the Devils with 24 goals in 51 games, and he ranks third on the team with a total of 43 points. As the first overall selection in the 2017 NHL draft, he has accumulated 404 points in 520 regular-season and playoff appearances throughout his NHL career.

In addition to Hischier’s absence, New Jersey is also without their top goaltender, Jacob Markstrom, who is currently recovering from a lower-body injury and is projected to be out for 4-6 weeks. The loss of both players is a significant challenge for Keefe’s squad, especially as they aim to solidify their playoff position after failing to qualify last season. The Devils started the season strong with a record of 28-18-6.