September 29, 2008 ESPN.comreports that Sergei Gonchar will undergo surgery on his injured shoulder later this week. The Penguins had originally hoped that surgery could have been avoided and that Gonchar would only miss between two and three weeks. He will now miss at least four months and it is entirely possible he could miss the entire season.
Our View:Gonchar is considered one of the top offensive defensemen in the league. He led the Penguins in ice time last season and was third on the team in scoring with 12 goals and 53 assists. In 905 career games, Gonchar has 185 goals and 430 assists. Gonchar should be avoided on draft day.
September 26, 2008 Sergei Gonchar will miss at least six weeks, and possibly up to six months if he has surgery, due to his injured shoulder, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "It's either, 'You're doing surgery' or 'You're not doing surgery.'" Gonchar said of his options. "I still have time before we do anything. Either way we're going, I have to make sure my shoulder is strong and all the swelling is going down."
Our View:Gonchar still has swelling in the shoulder which is why he is still waiting to have an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. This is scary news as the specter of Gonchar missing the entire season now appears to be a reality. This news will cause Gonchar's value to plummet - only the hardy should take a chance that the injury will only cost him six weeks.
September 24, 2008 The AP reports that defenseman Sergei Gonchar will be shut down indefinitely after suffering a shoulder injury in the team's first preseason game.
Our View:Pittsburgh will use the rest of the preseason trying to figure out their defensive rotation minus the 34-year-old. Last season, his third with Pittsburgh, Gonchar recorded 12 goals and 53 assists in 78 games.
