The Eastern Conference-leading Tampa Bay Lightning will be without the services of forward Ondrej Palat for the next four weeks, the team announced on Thursday.

The 27-year-old Czech Republic native is sidelined with what the team is calling a lower-body injury.

A native of Frydek-Mistek, Palat is in his seventh NHL season, all with the Bolts.

In nine games this season, Palat has five assists in an average of 14:47 minutes a night.

Originally taken in the seventh round (208th overall) of the  2011 NHL Entry Draft out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Drummondville Voltigeurs, Palat has registered 85 goals and 173 assists in 372 NHL games.