Walker has missed the last six games while taking two weeks off to see if the injury would heal. Dr. Michael Brunt advised him that because it had not, surgery was needed.

Brunt will perform the procedure in St. Louis on Thursday. He will weave the abdominal muscles in question to a mesh that will help them grow back together, Walker said.

"I thought I was doing better," said Walker. "But it seems like every day I wake up I feel fine and then halfway through the day I'll do one or two things that really shoots the pain in my abdomen.

"It's where you have to make that decision and just go forward and I guess once I got over that mental hurdle of having the surgery it's time to get it done and get healthy."

In the midst of a five-game losing streak, Nashville has been missing its feisty forward.

Tonight against Edmonton at Gaylord Entertainment Center, the Predators will also be without forward Adam Hall (ankle). Another top forward, Steve Sullivan, is not expected to play because of a strained groin.

Simon Gamache is expected to join Yanic Perreault and Scott Hartnell on the No. 2 line in Sullivan's place, with Jeremy Stevenson moving up a line to take over for Hall with Greg Johnson and Scottie Upshall.

The Predators will likely turn to defenseman Jamie Allison as a forward on the fourth line with Darcy Hordichuk and Jerred Smithson, who was just called up from the team's minor league affiliate in Milwaukee.

"We said we had a lot of depth this year," Predators General Manager David Poile said. "And now we're going to find out if we do or not."