Jan Rutta, who missed 26 games in the 2022-23 season, underwent a core muscle surgery this week, the Penguins announced Thursday.
Rutta’s recovery time is expected to last eight to 10 weeks, putting him back in time for next season’s training camp and preseason.
In the first half of the season, Rutta skated primarily on the Penguins’s third line. He scored three goals and assisted six more, but appeared to have issues against quicker skating teams — a common issue among Penguins’ defensemen.
He went out of the lineup due to an injury in mid January, and missed 15 games. He was able to play 11 games, returned, and was injured against in mid-March. He played three more games before missing the last game of the season.
Before this season, Rutta signed a 3-year, $8.25 million contract. His cap hit for the next two seasons is $2.75 million.