The Penguins will be without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to start the season

It’s going to be a difficult start to the season for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The team announced on Monday that @Sidney Crosby was undergone successful wrist surgery and that he’s expected to miss the first week of the 2021-22 regular season. @Evgeni Malkin also underwent knee surgery this off-season and he won’t be back until after the start of the season.

Frank Seravalli

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According to #pens, Crosby will miss the first week of the regular season or so after undergoing wrist surgery.

Pittsburgh Penguins

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Penguins captain Sidney Crosby underwent a successful wrist procedure today. Crosby will miss the start of training camp and is expected to be sidelined for a minimum of six weeks. Full details: pens.pe/3E2j7BA

9:17 PM · Sep 8, 2021

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This is an important season for the Penguins, who have won just one playoff series since winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. The Pens finished first in a very difficult division in 2021 with a 37-16-3 record, but they got dropped in six games in the first round by the New York Islanders.

The challenge for Pittsburgh is that they’re already behind the eight-ball with Crosby and Malkin out to start the season and there’s worry about the long-term health of both players. Malkin’s knee issues have kept him out of games in each of the past few seasons and this is Crosby’s second wrist surgery in roughly a year.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this could be the Penguins’ last run with their core group, as both Malkin and top defender @Kris Letang are set to hit unrestricted free agency next summer.