PITTSBURGH — Sergei Gonchar will be kept out of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup at least through the regular-season opener in two weeks because of a dislocated left shoulder.
Gonchar, who sustained the injury during the first period of the Penguins’ preseason opener Saturday, led the reigning Eastern Conference champions in ice time last season and was third on the team in scoring with 12 goals and 53 assists.
Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero said surgery is an option for the 34-year-old defenseman, who is entering his 14th NHL season, but Shero would offer no other timetable.
Shero said it was too early to speculate on the minimum amount of time Gonchar will miss. During the preseason two years ago, Penguins center Evgeni Malkin sustained a dislocated shoulder during the first preseason game that forced him to miss the first four regular season games.
Malkin was only 20 then. If Gonchar ultimately has surgery, he could be out much longer.
SHARKS: Defenseman Doug Murray agreed to a four-year contract extension with the San Jose Sharks, a few hours before the club’s exhibition opener.
Murray, a former eighth-round draft pick from Sweden, is headed into his fourth NHL season after breaking into the Sharks’ regular lineup for the first time last year. The physical defenseman had one goal and nine assists in 66 games, with a plus-20 rating and 98 penalty minutes.
The signing cements Murray’s spot on the Sharks’ revamped defense alongside newcomers Rob Blake, Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich, who has missed most of the Sharks’ first workouts of training camp with a minor injury.
CANADIENS: Montreal defenseman Mathieu Carle was carried off the ice on a stretcher after being hit by Detroit’s Tomas Kopecky during an exhibition game.
Carle lost and regained consciousness on the ice after the hit. He was taken to Detroit Medical Center for further testing.
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