The Buffalo Sabres announced on Monday morning that defenseman Lawrence Pilut has undergone shoulder surgery and is expected to miss the next five-to-six months.
Lawrence Pilut (@LPilut) has undergone successful shoulder surgery.
The procedure has an estimated recovery time of five to six months.
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) May 13, 2019
If recovery stays on schedule, this puts Pilut on-track to return to the ice between October and November.
Pilut, 23, enjoyed success in his first professional North American season after coming over from a professional stint in the Swedish Hockey League.
In 30 games with the Rochester Americans, Pilut tallied 26 points (four goals, 22 assists). With the Sabres, Pilut tallied six points (one goal, five assists) in 33 games.
As the season progressed, many expected Pilut to crack next season’s opening night lineup but the surgery announcement surely changes that.
For the Buffalo Sabres, Pilut’s surgery could throw a little bit of a wrench into their offseason plans. With Zach Bogosian coming off another hip surgery and now Pilut on the shelf, Jason Botterill will likely need to make some sort of move to increase Buffalo’s defensive depth prior to training camp.