DUCKS REPORT : Haller to Miss Exhibition Games

Defenseman Kevin Haller will undergo arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to remove damaged cartilage in his right knee. Haller is expected to be sidelined about a month.

An MRI exam Sunday revealed the extent of the injury. Haller suffered swelling in the knee while skating informally last week with teammates.

“This is the time to get it done,” Coach Craig Hartsburg said of the procedure. “He should be playing again within a month. We don’t need him this month.”

The Ducks, who open the regular season Oct. 2 against the defending Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars, will make do without Haller for eight exhibition games in September.

“It’s just a minor thing,” Hartsburg said. “It just popped up in the last week. We’re not concerned. It’s just a matter of getting the surgery over with.”

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A sore left hip is expected to sideline left wing Paul Kariya for several days, according to Hartsburg. Kariya, who injured himself while working out during the off-season, is not expected to play in exhibition games Saturday at San Jose or Sunday against Colorado at the Arrowhead Pond.

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The news on defenseman Pascal Trepanier, who is recovering from knee surgery, is a good deal better.

Trepanier injured his right knee while playing basketball on an off day in the final month of last season. He is not expected to participate in scrimmages today or Wednesday, but has been performing drills in practice without much trouble.

Hartsburg said Trepanier will play in upcoming exhibitions, although probably not in either of games this weekend.

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The Ducks’ scrimmages today and Wednesday are open free of charge to the public at Disney Ice in Anaheim. They are scheduled to start at 10 a.m. each day.