Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium is sidelined with a facial injury sustained during Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 20-year-old rookie took a puck to the face in the 3-2 loss.

Head Coach Adam Foote updated reporters on Tuesday that Buium has a broken bone near his cheek. While surgery hasn't been ruled out, the current expectation is that Buium will be out of the lineup until after the NHL's Olympic break.

The Canucks placed Buium on injured reserve on Monday. According to TSN, the team hopes he will be ready to play when they resume action on February 25 against the Winnipeg Jets.

Prior to the injury, Buium had appeared in 20 games for Vancouver, recording two goals and six points. Overall this season, the young defenseman has five goals and 20 points in 51 games.

Buium was acquired by the Canucks in a significant trade with the Minnesota Wild on December 12. The deal saw star defenseman Quinn Hughes head to Minnesota in exchange for Buium, forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, and a draft pick.

The Canucks are currently dealing with a number of injuries. Forwards Brock Boeser and Marco Rossi, defenseman Derek Forbort, and goaltender Thatcher Demko are also on injured reserve.

Boeser is currently in concussion protocol after taking a hit to the head in the same game against Pittsburgh. Penguins forward Bryan Rust received a two-minute penalty for an illegal check to the head on the play and was subsequently suspended for three games. However, Foote noted that Boeser is feeling better.

Demko is expected to be out for the rest of the season. Rossi is also on injured reserve.

The Canucks hope that Buium's recovery progresses as expected and that he can return to the ice following the Olympic break.