Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin to miss first two months of season while rehabbing surgically-repaired knee

The Pittsburgh Penguins will begin the season devoid of their two upcoming Corridor of Fame facilities to begin the upcoming season. On Thursday Pens standard manager Ron Hextall announced Evgeni Malkin will pass up the 1st two months of the 2021-22 marketing campaign while rehabbing from offseason knee medical procedures. Sidney Crosby is anticipated to pass up the 1st two weeks just after going through wrist medical procedures before this month. 

Pittsburgh is hoping to progress past the 1st round of the NHL playoffs for the 1st time due to the fact 2017-eighteen, and Hextall is self-confident that can happen despite the early absences of Malkin and Crosby. 

“Just seeing the chemistry of our team previous yr, there is certainly a good come to feel this yr,” Hextall informed reporters Thursday. “I consider we all know we’re up versus it. I consider our fellas are prepared for the challenge.”

Malkin, 34, has battled through consecutive damage-plagued seasons. The Russian played only 88 game titles about the past two many years together with 33 about a shortened 2020-21 slate. This past season was Malkin’s worst as a professional, as he posted vocation lows in goals, details and helps with 8, 20 and 28, respectively. 

Crosby, a two-time Hart trophy winner, has also endured damage difficulties during his vocation. The 34-yr-outdated Canadian has undergone two left wrist surgical procedures in the past thirteen months, but Hextall says he’s doing the job his way back into type at the level the crew is expecting. 

“Sid has been skating very substantially each and every day, he’s a single hand with the puck,” Hextall mentioned. “Everything’s heading properly. He is skating tricky and he’s proper on the timeline we gave. Bare minimum 6 weeks proper now is what we be expecting.”

Malkin and Crosby have been with the Penguins for their overall fifteen- and sixteen-yr occupations, respectively, profitable 3 Stanley Cups jointly. Hextall is self-confident the veterans’ midseason returns together with the emergence of new contributors will have Pittsburgh knocking on the door of a different Stanley Cup. 

“We nonetheless believe that in our crew,” Hextall mentioned. “We have definitely good gamers. Clearly, the previous few many years did not go how we want, but we have the self-confidence that we can get there.”

The Penguins open their common season with a street battle versus the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. twelve.