Austin Adam out 4-6 weeks

The Silvertips will be without defenseman Austin Adam for at least the next month because of a broken hand.

Adam suffered the injury in a freak accident during practice Tuesday. As Adam was routinely checked into the boards his finger got caught in the partition between two panels of glass, and in the subsequent yank his had was broken. He's estimated as being out 4-6 weeks, so that's a tough blow for Adam.

The Tips have been carrying eight defensemen, so they'll be able to withstand Adam's absence. Griffin Foulk and Cole MacDonald will probably see more action as a result. If things go according to schedule, Adam should return right around the time the Tips lose Ryan Murray to the NHL, as conventional wisdom has the lockout being resolved sometime in early November.

On the plus side, center Ty Mappin (upper body) made it through practice today and looks like he'll be able to make his season debut during the upcoming two-game road swing. Center Ryan Chynoweth (lower body) practiced with a no-contact jersey and is considered day-to-day.