The situation for Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic went from bad to worse Wednesday as he received back surgery for a herniated disc and now will need 10 weeks to recover, according to The Denver Post.

Sakic had previously injured his hand in a snowblower accident and was expected to be out of action until early March. Now his return is slated for mid-March, perhaps March 19, when the Avs face Edmonton in Denver. At that point, the Avs will have just 11 games remaining in the season.

Sakic initially hurt his back on November 28, in a game against Phoenix.