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Detroit Red Wings

Matt Luff Won’t Return to Red Wings’ Lineup Anytime Soon

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Detroit Red Wings forward Matt Luff suffered a significant injury Tuesday night when he was checked from behind and sent face first into the boards by Montreal Canadiens’ No. 1 overall draft pick Juraj Slafkovsky.

“I don’t know completely the exact (timetable) with it, but probably very similar to where Filip Zadina is,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “We won’t be seeing (Luff) anytime soon, unfortunately.”

The Red Wings have said Zadina will be out six to eight weeks after suffering an injury while blocking a shot. Lalonde said he expects to know more about Luff’s injury Wednesday.

“It was a bad hit and I think Slafkovsky knew it right away,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin said. “But you can’t hit someone like that and it’s just scary to see a teammate, anyone, go into the boards like that. We’re really hoping he’s all right.”

The 238-pound forward Slafkovsky received a five-minute major penalty, and the accompanying game misconduct.

No Replacement Needed?

“As far as the hit, the right call was made. It’s unfortunate,” Lalonde said. “It’s the exact hit you want to try to avoid, because of exactly what happened. A player got seriously injured. It is what it is. The right call was made. And we move on.”

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Luff has impressed coaches since being recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins. But he’s had a string of bad luck. He recently received 16 stitches and lost teeth when he was struck in the face by a slap shot.

“You feel for him, because those guys on that bubble of being an everyday NHLer, he gets an extended look, he does really good in it,” Lalonde said. “Unfortunate but we’ll go from there.”

The Red Wings may consider calling up another player from Grand Rapids before heading on a West Coast Trip. But the Red Wings expect injured Tyler Bertuzzi to return during the road trip.