Disaster for the Nashville Predators.

The Nashville Predators have lost one of their top guys, and it sounds like he may be out for a while.

Predators insider Adam Vingan of the Tennessean is now reporting that forward James Neal is expected to miss considerably more time than originally projected. Neal was initially listed as day to day but now his status has been downgraded to week to week. 

Neal had already missed two games with his injury and despite that was ranked 11th in goals scored in the National Hockey League ahead of players like Patrick Kane, Jakub Voracek and Evgeni Malkin. Coming off his best season with the Predators last year many believed Neal was headed for an even better performance this season but that may now have been sidetracked.

[pub]

As for the nature of his injury the Predators have only listed it as an upper-body injury.