Windsor Spitfires forward Gabe Vilardi is out indefinitely after undergoing an appendectomy Monday.

Vilardi is third in Future Considerations’ Fall ranking for the 2017 NHL Draft.

“Most importantly here, we’re glad we caught this and that he’s getting the medical treatment he needs,” Spitfires general manager Warren Rychel told the team’s website. “We’re obviously going to miss a top talent like Gabe. You can’t control things like this and we’ll have to pull together as a group to pick up the slack, especially with a dozen consecutive road games in the next month or so.”

Vilardi has nine goals and a team-leading 22 points in 16 games this season.