Forward Brett Connolly is unlikely to return before the end of the NHL regular season after suffering a displaced fracture in his right index finger, the Boston Bruins announced on Wednesday.
Connolly - acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for second-round picks in the 2015 and 2016 drafts on Saturday - is expected to miss six weeks after the 22-year-old was injured during practice when he took a Dennis Seidenberg slap shot to his right hand on Wednesday.
Connolly - a former first-round pick - had 12 goals and 15 points in 50 games this season with the Lightning.
With the Bruins' regular-season finale scheduled on April 11, it is highly unlikely Connolly will be available to play until the play-offs, which have become a very real uncertainty for the Boston franchise.
With 71 points, the Bruins have been clinging to the eighth and final play-off spot in the Eastern Conference. They were 3-5-2 in their last 10 games leading into Monday's trade deadline.