Pittsburgh Penguins forward Teddy Blueger is expected to miss the next six to eight weeks due to having surgery on his fractured jaw.

Blueger sustained his injury after being hit by Winnipeg Jets defenseman Brendan Dillon during Sunday’s game. Following the play, Blueger fell to the ice and then left the game. It was clear that he was injured, and it’s very unfortunate that he now will be missing serious time.

Although Blueger is not a star center like teammates Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, he’s still an immensely important part of the Penguins. He’s their primary penalty killer because of his excellent defensive game, so it will be very challenging for them to replace him. However, he also deserves praise for his contributions offensively this season, too. In 40 games thus far, he has eight goals and 17 points. That’s very solid from a bottom-six forward, to say the least. 

Alas, the Penguins will now have to adjust without Blueger in their lineup. At this point of the season, they have a 26-10-5 record, so they should be a playoff team. However, with how close the Metropolitan Division is right now, losing another key player certainly isn’t ideal for them. 

Here’s to hoping Blueger can return in six weeks rather than eight.