The Central Division-leading Utah Mammoth will be without a key defender for longer than expected. According to Brogan Houston of Deseret News Sports, defenseman John Marino has been downgraded to week-to-week.

Marino has already been out a week since suffering a lower-body injury against the Edmonton Oilers on October 17th. He was originally considered day-to-day, but today’s update from Houston shows that the injury is worse than expected. Now, there’s no guarantee Marino will return before the end of October.

A quietly effective defenseman, Marino finished last season scoring four goals and 36 points in 80 games for the Mammoth. He got off to a great start this season, registering two goals and five points in nine games while averaging 20:23 of ice time. Utah has recalled Artem Duda to fill Marino’s roster spot temporarily. The Mammoth will need to utilize one or two of their depth options to cover the gap.

Additional notes from the Central Division:

• According to WGN’s Charlie Roumeliotis, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram returned to the ice today in a non-contact jersey. Byram, 25, has not played in over 10 days while recovering from an upper-body injury. The Blackhawks’ biggest offseason acquisition has scored one assist with a -7 rating in his first six games with Chicago.
• The St. Louis Blues should have forward Alexey Toropchenko back relatively soon. Earlier, Lou Korac of The Hockey News reported that Toropchenko could return from his upper-body injury as early as Tuesday. However, Korac stated that his spot in the lineup wouldn’t be guaranteed if Otto Stenberg and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki prove they belong.