Stephen Weiss (wrist) refused to make injuries an excuse for his poor start this season, but teammate Tomas Kopecky admitted that the club was aware that Weiss could hardly grip his stick. "We knew even from the beginning of the year that he always had that problem," Kopecky said. "It's tough on him and it's tough on us as a team. He was our leader, he always sets an example. It's a big hole to fill." Weiss generated just one goal, two assists and a horrid minus-13 rating in 17 games. He is expected to be out for the remainder of the season following wrist surgery.