Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin undergoes knee surgery

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin underwent surgery on his right knee.

The team announced his surgery Friday evening but did not specify when the surgery took place or the nature of his injury.

According to a release from the team, Malkin is not expected to be available for the start of the Penguins’ training camp in mid-September. A more definitive time frame for his return to action is expected to be revealed at that time.

Malkin initially was injured during a 2-1 home loss to the Boston Bruins on March 16 at PPG Paints Arena. Chasing after a puck, he was checked by Bruins defenseman Jarred Tinordi near the boards. During the collision, the players’ right knees collided.

The injury forced Malkin to miss the next 23 games. He was able to dress for the final four games of the regular season but was injured again in the season finale, a 1-0 home win against the Buffalo Sabres on May 8. During the final stages of that contest, Sabres forward Dylan Cozens hit Malkin, with Malkin’s right knee absorbing most of the contact.

Malkin was absent from the Penguins’ first two games of the postseason but was able to play in their final four games of their first-round series against the New York Islanders. Despite being “not 100%” according to coach Mike Sullivan, Malkin was able to collect five points (one goal, four assists) during the series.

In February of 2011, Malkin injured his right knee and underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL at that time.

The 34-year-old is entering the final year of an eight-year contract with a salary cap hit of $9.5 million. During this past regular season, he appeared in 33 games and scored 28 points (eight goals, 20 assists).

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