It is that time of year again – the dreaded offseason surgeries. This is the time when surgeries happen and the timetables of these surgeries could result in players missing the start of next season. That being said, it was reported that Zach Aston-Reese and Evgeni Malkin both underwent surgeries after being eliminated from the Stanley Cup Qualifiers.
Both had suffered different injuries that they were playing through while in the NHL bubble. Malkin had left elbow surgery for an injury that happened earlier in the season. It would certainly helped explain why Malkin didn’t look like his normal self out on the ice – as if something was bothering him.
Malkin is now set t be out for the next three-to-four weeks while recovering from surgery. That is certainly good news for the Penguins, as even with the delayed start to next season, Malkin will be back in time for opening puck drop which is set for December. His surgery was reportedly successful, which is all anyone could ask for.
Left-winger Zach Aston-Reese also underwent surgery for repairs on Monday. However, for the forward, he underwent shoulder surgery, an operation of which was successful. With that being said, he’ll be out of hockey action for six months to recover.
This means that Zach Aston-Reese is likely to miss the beginning of next season. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first surgery the forward has required since his NHL debut. During the 2018 playoffs against the Capitals, he was sidelined with a broken jaw, and in 2018-19, he broke his hand.
Luckily, in 2019-20, he managed to stay healthy and play in 57 games. Aston-Reese played on the fourth line with Teddy Blueger and Brandon Tanev. Once he is healthy to play again, Aston-Reese will be in his final contract year with the Penguins.
As stated just up above, Aston-Reese played in 57 games where he scored six goals along with seven assists. While adding on 28 penalty minutes, these made for a total of 13 points. Malkin only played in 55 games, scoring 25 goals along with 49 assists.
He also added 58 penalty minutes. Both Malkin and Aston-Reese played in all four games in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. However, they each recorded a point against the Montreal Canadiens before being eliminated.