Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward remained in the hospital Sunday after suffering a skate laceration to his upper leg by Columbus Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash in a game Saturday night, and is expected to miss a minimum of 3-4 weeks.

Ward was injured during the first period of the Hurricanes' 3-2 loss to the Blue Jackets. He was taken to Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus and received stitches for the injury. After being kept overnight, it was decided Sunday that Ward would spend another day in the hospital for precautionary reasons.

He will now be released on Monday and return to Raleigh, N.C., where he will receive further evaluation from the Hurricanes' Head Orthopedic Physician, Dr. Marty Isbell.

"He's stitched up but he has to stay real stable. They want to be careful about infections and those things," Carolina GM Jim Rutherford told The Canadian Press, adding about Ward's recovery period, "It appears it will be a fairly long period of time."

Michael Leighton relieved Ward on Saturday and stopped 19 shots, giving up three goals early in the third period. According to TSN, the options Rutherford is looking at to fill Ward's spot include Justin Peters, who plays at Albany of the AHL, as well as signing or trading for a goaltender.

"We're talking over the options. We don't have an answer right now," Rutherford said.