Carolina Hurricanes lose star winger Andrei Svechnikov for the rest of the season after knee injury

The Carolina Hurricanes were dealt a massive blow to their Stanley Cup hopes when forward Andrei Svechnikov went down against the Vegas Golden Knights with a knee injury.

Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell confirmed that Svechnikov would miss the rest of the season to undergo reconstructive surgery on his right ACL.

The surgery will be performed in Raleigh, North Carolina on Thursday and will see Svechnikov sitting at home for the playoffs.

‘After further consultation with global experts in this field, it has been determined that the best course of action for Andrei’s future is to have this surgery, and to have it done by our team orthopedist, Dr. Marty Isbell,’ Waddell said. 

‘We’re confident that Andrei will make a full recovery.’ 

Carolina Hurricanes star winger Andrei Svechnikov will be missing the rest of this season

The 22-year-old Russian winger injured his knee in a game against the Vegas Golden Knights

Svechnikov had 23 goals and 32 assists for 55 points in the 64 games he played this season

The 22-year-old Svechnikov had 23 goals and 32 assists for 55 points in 64 games played this season. His goals and assists mark were both good for third best on the team while his points mark was tied for the second best on the team.

Svechnikov was drafted second overall in the 2018 NHL Draft and immediately impressed – scoring the third most goals and finishing tied for the fourth most points among all rookies in the 2018-19 season.

Last season, Svechnikov set his own personal records for points, goals, and assists: scoring 30 goals, 39 assists, and 69 points across 78 games.  

The Hurricanes are leading the Metropolitan Division with 94 points – but they’re only ahead of the New Jersey Devils by having a lower number of losses. They’re the second best team in the league behind the Boston Bruins.