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.

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.