Pronger Out 4-6 Weeks

NHL teams

"It's something we need to take care of now before it becomes a problem," Pronger said. "You don't want it to become a problem in the playoffs when everything counts. Four weeks now could turn into two months."

Pronger injured his knee on Jan. 4 in a game against Nashville. The reigning league MVP played nine games with the injury before deciding on surgery.

"You don't feel good, but you never feel good," he said. "If I could play a game when I felt good, it'd be nice."

Pronger ranks fourth among NHL defensemen with 41 points, on six goals and 35 assists. General manager Larry Pleau said the extent of the damage was revealed in an MRI exam Friday.

"He tried to play with it, but it kept bothering him," Pleau said. "We thought about it for a couple of days here, and we felt the best thing to do is get it done now. He can play with it, but you never know what could happen. He could go down tomorrow, next week, the end of the year or not at all."