Backes will undergo an operation that will remove a portion of his colon Thursday and will be sidelined for the next eight weeks.
EDGE Analysis
Backes and the team decided to go ahead with the surgery in order to best manage his health, as we learned in the team's release that the player's bout with diverticulitis in October was his second episode in as many months. An eight-week absence gives Backes a chance to return before the conclusion of 2017, but until he's able to return, Boston will be missing another centerman, with David Krejci (back) and Ryan Spooner (groin) already out.