Another round of medical updates has confirmed that the Bruins will be down at least two key defensemen for the start of the 2022 season.
In Boston, the Bruins confirmed that Matt Grzelcyk underwent a right shoulder open stabilization procedure, which will come with an expected recovery time is approximately five months. The injury was acknowledged by Grzelcyk at his year-end media availability, and is something that Grzelcyk tried to play through for actual months, as Grzelcyk revealed that he first sustained the injury on a hit from the Jets’ Pierre-Luc Dubois in late January.
But Grzelcyk wasn’t the only Boston defender to require a shoulder surgery, as the Bruins confirmed that Charlie McAvoy also went under the knife with a left shoulder arthroscopic stabilization procedure. In the case of McAvoy, the expected recovery time is approximately six months, which would knock him out through the first month of the season at least.
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Both Grzelcyk and McAvoy were operated on by Dr. Tom Holovacs at Mass General Hospital on Friday, June 3.
And out in Wisconsin, Mike Reilly underwent a right ankle tendon repair and removal of bone fragments on Friday, June 3, according to the Bruins. Reilly’s operation comes with a recovery time of approximately three months. Assuming there’s no setbacks, Reilly’s recovery should see him ready in time for the start of the regular season.
The same cannot be said for Grzelcyk and McAvoy, however, with both defensemen likely looking at delayed starts to the 2022-23 season. And with Brad Marchand also set for a delayed start to the year after double hip surgery last week, that’s an awful lot of talent that won’t be available to the Bruins for the first 20 games or so.
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