Ducks’ Karpov May Be Out Three Months : Hockey: Right wing has a broken right wrist, which will not require surgery. Sacco expected to fill in.

The Mighty Ducks have lost right wing Valeri Karpov for up to three months after he suffered a broken right wrist during Monday’s loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

Karpov, who was hurt when he was knocked into the boards in the third period, flew home to Anaheim on Tuesday after X-rays taken Monday night revealed multiple fractures of the radius bone in his right arm.

“It’s a blow, but we’ve got other people, somebody like Joe Sacco, to step in,” Coach Ron Wilson said. “We’re putting our confidence in him and he should be able to do it. He just needed an opportunity.”

Karpov was examined by team orthopedist Ronald Glousman in Inglewood Tuesday and his arm won’t require surgery. His wrist will be in a cast six to eight weeks, and he’ll need another three or four weeks to rehabilitate before he is ready to play.

At 24, Karpov is one of the Ducks’ promising young players. After eight games, he has a goal and three assists playing on the second line with center Steve Rucchin and left wing Denny Lambert.

Drafted in the third round in 1993, Karpov hasn’t had a smooth time since. He broke his left wrist about two years ago while touring the United States with the Russian national team, but recovered in time to play in the 1994 Olympics about two months later. Last year, he was the Ducks’ second-leading scorer during the exhibition season, only to falter after the three-month layoff because of the NHL lockout. He finished the season with only four goals and seven assists.

Sacco, 26, was one of the Ducks’ leading goal-scorers in each of their first two seasons but has yet to score this season. He had been left out of the lineup the last three games, partly because of poor defensive play.

“It’s not the way you want to get your chance,” Sacco said, but added that he knows what he needs to do when he returns to the lineup Thursday against Dallas. “I’ve been pressing a little bit,” he said. “When I don’t score, I tend to press. I’ve got to worry about playing my own end.”