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GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith is expected to miss at least two months after undergoing abdominal surgery.
Smith had surgery Tuesday in Philadelphia and is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks. He had been bothered by the injury earlier in the season and received treatment for it, but it continued to linger.
"He was having some problems in that area and our medical staff was treating it and monitoring it," Coyotes general manager Don Maloney said. "The last thing you want to do is have surgery and when the initial injury happens, you rehab it and see if you can play with it. Fortunately, we were able to get the procedure done quickly and hopefully he'll be back by the end of the season."
Smith is 10-9-1 with a 3.06 goals-against average in 22 starts this season. He had a similar injury with Dallas in 2004.
Anders Lindback will take over as Arizona's No. 1 goalie until Smith is back. He is 4-5-1 with a 2.92 goals-against average in 12 games. Louis Domingue will serve as Lindback's backup, though Maloney said Arizona may explore the trade market.
"We had not been looking at goaltending, per se, acquiring somebody else, but that will be something that we'll have to at least give a little attention, see if there's someone else out there that makes us stronger," Maloney said.
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