Stars' Nichushkin will undergo hip surgery this week, miss 4 months

The 2014-15 NHL season is about to get significantly less fun.

This week, Dallas Stars winger Valeri Nichushkin, 19, will undergo hip surgery. He's expected to miss four months, according to Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.

"We had it diagnosed, and decided surgery is the best thing," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "It’s very similar to what (Stars defenseman John) Klingberg had, and we expect it to have similar results."

Nichushkin, the 10th overall pick at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, habitually attacks the net with a reckless abandon unseen in the league since the days of Cam Neely. For the Stars, and for GameCenter Live junkies, this is a massive loss.

The Russian-born Nichushkin has been limited to just four games this season, and hasn't yet managed a point.