COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) - Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kristian Huselius will have surgery to repair a torn chest muscle on Thursday and is expected to miss the start of the NHL season. The 32-year-old Huselius, who sustained the injury while lifting weights in his homeland Sweden, is expected to miss at least four months. Columbus face Nashville in it's regular season opener on October 7. "We're looking at November at the earliest, and maybe January (for a return). It's a pretty serious injury with a long recovery," Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson told the Columbus Dispatch. An injury-plagued 2010-11 campaign limited Huselius to 14 goals and nine assists in just 39 games. Prior to last season, Huselius had recorded at least 20 goals and 35 assists in four consecutive campaigns.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles. Edited by Patrick Johnston)