Baertschi was injured Friday night during Vancouver's contest against the Nashville Predators when he took a hard hit from Nashville rearguard Alexei Emelin. He left the game and did not return.
The injury is the latest setback for the struggling Baertschi, who already missed significant time this year with a fractured jaw.
Through 53 games, he registered 14 goals and 15 assists in 15:36 of ice time per night.
About a month remains in the regular season, and with the playoffs now just around the corner, it's not too soon to daydream about tantalizing potential matchups.
With that in mind, here are three playoff series we're dying to take in this spring:
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers
You've heard of the Battle of Alberta, but how about the Battle of the Sunshine State?
The red-hot Panthers have surged in recent weeks, and sit just one point outside of a playoff position entering Sunday's contest against the Philadelphia Flyers. If the team can keep up its recent play, it should secure the East's second wild card for an opening-round date with the cross-state Lightning.
The two sides have never met in the playoffs - the Panthers have made the postseason only once in the past five years, and just twice in the last 16 seasons. But these aren't your same old Cats.
Since Feb. 1, Florida has accumulated 22 points, good for the NHL's fourth-best total over that stretch, and is essentially neck and neck with a Tampa Bay squad that has posted an 11-4-1 showing over its past 16 games. The Lightning will enter the playoffs as a favorite to win the Stanley Cup - their second since 2004 - but momentum means a lot in the spring, and the Panthers have no shortage in recent weeks.
Rivalries are made in the playoffs, and the Flyers and Penguins already have a great one. Arguably the NHL's best.
Who wouldn't want to see a repeat of 2012, when the Flyers and Penguins last connected in the postseason? That wild opening-round series served up some silly results - the Flyers took Games 2 and 3 by 8-5 and 8-4 scores - before the Pittsburgh hammered Philly 10-3 in Philadelphia in Game 4.
These two sides share significant hostility toward one another. Going back to 2012, Game 3 served 158 minutes in penalties, including seven misconducts, and the following game also reached triple-digit PIMs.
After a slow start this season - the Penguins were outside of the playoff picture at the beginning of January - the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions are back to their old selves and look poised to capture a third straight title.
Much like in Pittsburgh, it's been a roller-coaster year in Philadelphia, one that included an 10-game winless streak near the end of 2017 that left fans calling for coach Dave Hakstol's dismissal, followed by a 10-1-2 showing to close out February.
Nashville Predators vs. Winnipeg Jets
Shifting to the West, hockey fans were treated Tuesday to what might ultimately become a battle of the titans. The Jets and Predators traded chances in a wild 6-5 Nashville win that proved to be one of the best games of the season.
Unfortunately, the two squads are unlikely to link up until at least the second round. Should that happen, prepare for a fun series, as the Jets and Preds play some of the NHL's most exciting brands of hockey, and have the offensive chops to prove it, with both clubs sitting in the top seven in goals scored.
Both sides are loaded with talent, and the argument could be made that both are strong contenders to win it all. The Predators proved as much a year ago when they pushed the Penguins to Game 6 of the finals, and they're even better this time around.
The Predators put on a show en route to last year's Stanley Cup Final with raucous affairs at Bridgestone Arena, and a similar fan atmosphere is sure to show up in Winnipeg as the franchise remains in pursuit of its first playoff win.
The Buffalo Sabres center resumed skating Saturday, his first time back on the ice since suffering a high ankle sprain last month.
While there is no timetable for his return, Sabres coach Phil Housley told Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News that Eichel is itching to play again this season.
"You don't want to put any timeline on it but it's good to see him skating and that's a step in the right direction," Housley said. "Obviously, he wants to play some games before the end of the year."
Eichel has been sidelined for past 10 games but remains first in team scoring with 53 points.
The Mass. native missed 21 games last season due to a similar injury.
Given the success of Saturday's Stadium Series contest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals at the United States Naval Academy, it's understandable why the NHL hopes to host more games at American service academies in the future.
"It's unique and as we continue to move forward with the outdoor games, you look for new concepts and new themes and new things that'll interest the fans," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said, according to the Associated Press.
"Certainly the hope is, with a successful game (at Navy), we'll continue the venture with the Army and the Air Force and we'll see where we go from there."
Army's West Point in New York and the Air Force Academy in Colorado could be possible sites for future games.
At least two teams have major ties to the U.S. military - the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights, as ownership of the two clubs hold significant armed forces backgrounds. Either team could be a good fit for an outdoor game.
Saturday's contest at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. marked the NHL's 24th foray outdoors.
Given the success of Saturday's Stadium Series contest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals at the United States Naval Academy, it's understandable why the NHL hopes to host more games at American service academies in the future.
"It's unique and as we continue to move forward with the outdoor games, you look for new concepts and new themes and new things that'll interest the fans," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said, according to the Associated Press.
"Certainly the hope is, with a successful game (at Navy), we'll continue the venture with the Army and the Air Force and we'll see where we go from there."
Army's West Point in New York and the Air Force Academy in Colorado could be possible sites for future games.
At least two teams have major ties to the U.S. military - the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights, as ownership of the two clubs hold significant armed forces backgrounds. Either team could be a good fit for an outdoor game.
Saturday's contest at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. marked the NHL's 24th foray outdoors.
The Capitals steamrolled the Maple Leafs 5-2 in a Stadium Series game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and, to Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock, his team sure didn't look its age.
"They look at us and they still think we're kids," Babcock said. "It looked like we were kids here tonight. I thought they smacked us around and forechecked us. I didn't think we executed at all, I didn't think we played fast."
The Maple Leafs' dismal display means the team will practice tomorrow in Buffalo despite a late flight, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton.
"Obviously, we've got to regroup," said Babcock. "We'll be practicing tomorrow. The work we didn't put in today we'll be putting in tomorrow and get back on track here."
The Maple Leafs face the Sabres on Monday, when they'll look to halt a three-game losing streak.
