VANCOUVER — Christopher Tanev has been added to the Vancouver Canucks' mounting injury list.
Head coach Travis Green said after today's morning skate that the defenceman will be out two to three weeks with a groin strain.
Tanev limped off in the third period of Wednesday's 7-1 loss to the Nashville Predators, playing just one 17-second shift the rest of the way.
The 27-year-old shutdown defenceman missed seven games earlier this season after taking a shot off his hand on Nov. 7. He has two goals and four assists in 25 outings in 2017-18, averaging 20:51 minutes of ice time.
"When guys go down it's opportunity for other guys to step up," said Vancouver defenceman Michael Del Zotto. "It's not easy, especially (Tanev) being the player that he is ... it just magnifies every play that much more."
The Canucks have been ravaged by injury in recent weeks, having lost two thirds of their top line with Bo Horvat (fractured ankle) and Sven Baertschi (broken jaw) out for an extended period.
Vancouver centre Brandon Sutter and defenceman Erik Gudbranson also remain sidelined with upper-body injuries.
Green said Gudbranson, who skated with the Canucks this morning ahead of Friday's game against the San Jose Sharks, is the closest to returning.
The coach added he hoped Sutter would be back soon from his injury, but he remains at least a week away.
Alex Biega looks set to take Tanev's spot in the lineup alongside Del Zotto on Friday.
Vancouver (14-14-4) has been outscored 20-5 during its four-game losing streak.
The Canadian Press
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version had the incorrect Canucks opponent in Wednesday's game.