Left-forward Jakob Silfverberg is in the third year of a five-year contract with the California team Anaheim Ducks, which he has represented since the 2013-14 season.
The 31-year-old has scored five goals and 16 assists in 53 games this season, but there will be no more points than that.
Silfverberg has suffered a blood clot in his leg.
A few weeks ago he felt pain and noticed a bruise on his right leg.
-I woke up in the middle of the night and was in so much pain, but fell asleep again after taking some painkillers.
I limped a little when I got to the rink the next day, but no one thought it was something serious, he says to Expressen.
Eats blood thinners
Despite the feelings, the Swede continued to play before it finally got so bad that he had to do an ultrasound examination in Nashville.
-It gave a positive result for a blood clot and I quickly had to go to a hospital there for blood sampling.
I stayed in Nashville for just over two days and had to start taking blood-thinning tablets.
I take them now morning and evening.
Two or three days after I started taking the tablets, the pain started to subside and I feel good, but it was a damn sluggish end to the season, says Jakob Silfverberg
He played the last match of the season on March 8.
Silfverberg has made nine seasons for Anaheim and one for the Ottawa Senators in the NHL.
In 2012, he was named the best player in the elite series after helping Brynäs to the Swedish Championship gold.
The club is monitoring the situation
There will be no further action at the moment.
-I can go for walks and play with the children, but not train at all for three weeks to begin with, he says.
Local journalist Eric Stephens tells the site The Athletic that Anaheim is not too worried about the Swede's health problems, but that they monitor the situation when the 31-year-old was also forced to have hip surgery last year.
Silfverberg is said to be a much appreciated figure in the locker room and the club should also be happy with what he contributes on the ice, once he is whole.