RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes will play the rest of the regular season without top defenseman Glen Wesley, who will miss 2-to-4 weeks with a separated right shoulder.

	Wesley

Wesley, a 15-year NHL veteran and one of the team's alternate captains, was injured in the third period Wednesday when he got tangled with Devils center Sergei Brylin. Wesley crashed into the end boards as the two raced to the puck on an icing call.

Wesley was down on the ice for five minutes before being helped to the Carolina locker room. He had played in all 77 games and logged an average of 20 minutes of ice time.

His absence is a major blow for the Hurricanes, who are trying to hold off the Washington Capitals in the Southeast Division.

Carolina's 13-point lead in the division has dwindled to four points with five games left for each team.

"The upside with Glen is he's such a great athlete that once he gets the green light to go back and play you expect him to come back and play exactly like he did before the injury," coach Paul Maurice said Thursday.

The 33-year-old Wesley had offseason neck surgery two years ago, and last season he missed 11 games in March when he broke his jaw after getting checked into an open penalty box.

Marek Malik and Aaron Ward will get more ice time, and Nick Wallin will join the rotation. Wallin has been a healthy scratch for 27 games since December.

"It's not a matter of hoping they can do the job -- I expect them to do it," Maurice said. "There is no reason why they can't."

The news was much better for Sean Hill, Wesley's defensive partner who left in the second period with a back injury. Hill twisted his back early in the first period after checking Brylin.

Hill was scheduled for more tests on his ailing back, but the veteran defenseman could return against Atlanta on Sunday.

If Hill can't play Sunday against the Thrashers, Carolina probably would call up minor leaguer Nikos Tselios, the team's No. 1 draft pick in 1997.