Pittsburgh Penguins veteran Evgeni Malkin will miss at least the first two months of the season as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery, general manager Ron Hextall announced Thursday, according to NHL.com's Michelle Crechiolo.
Malkin underwent the procedure in June. He was injured in a collision in a March 16 game against the Boston Bruins. Malkin subsequently missed the final six weeks of the regular season and the first two contests of the Penguins' first-round matchup against the New York Islanders.
The 35-year-old put up 28 points in 33 games during the 2020-21 season.
The Penguins will begin the 2021-22 season without two of their top forwards. Sidney Crosby is also expected to miss the start of the campaign after undergoing wrist surgery.
