Shea Weber, the captain of the Nashville Predators, missed practice on Thursday with an upper body injury, according to the Associated Press. As a result, Weber is now listed as day to day for the team.

The defenseman is the Predators’ second-leading scorer with 36 points, and he also is alternate captain for the Canadian Olympic hockey team for the Sochi Olympics. The two-time Norris Trophy finalist and 2010 Olympic gold medalist has missed only three games this season after taking a puck to the face Nov. 28.

If Weber can’t play against the New Jersey Devils on Friday night or Saturday night in St. Louis, that leaves the Predators with very little experience on defense.

“It’s a big deal if he doesn’t play,” Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. “It’s a huge hole we have to fill.”

The Nashville Predators currently have 56 points on the season, and are seven points behind the Vancouver Canucks for the last wild card spot in the Western Conference. There are also just four games remaining for the team before we reach the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

How do you think the Predators will play if Weber is unable to get on the ice for Friday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, or even Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Blues? Leave a comment below.