Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal missed Sunday night's game in Philadelphia due to a lower-body injury and his current status is unknown moving forward.

Staal was ruled out just before warmups last night and after the game, Carolina coach rod Brind'Amour stated that there was "not much" of an update to be provided.

"It just kind of came up last minute, but hopefully it's nothing serious and won't keep him out too long," Brind'Amour said.

The 38-year-old captain logged 14:12 against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, playing all the way through to the end of the game.

He was however a bit hampered last Thursday (Oct. 8), taking only a single shift in the final 12 minutes of game time after blocking a shot in the third period.

At the time, Brind'Amour had said that the captain was fine, but perhaps discomfort developed down the line, but this is also simply conjecture on my part.

In Staal's place, Mark Jankowski skated in his spot alongside Jordan Martinook and Nikolaj Ehlers, registering a goal in the 4-1 win.

"We've had a lot of hockey here in a short amount of time and had a couple guys out that are big parts, but the other guys are just stepping up," Brind'Amour said.

The team is scheduled to skate on Tuesday before their game against the Washington Capitals at Lenovo Center, so we should have a better idea of Staal's status then.

The defensive centerman is a critical piece of the Hurricanes' game plan at 5v5, shorthanded and even on the power play, so if he does indeed miss more time, it won't be an easy hole to fill.

 "You can get by with big guys being out for a little while, but if it's any length of time, it's tough on your group," Brind'Amour said.

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