Markov was injured early in Game 1 of the Canadiens’ second-round series against Pittsburgh on April 30 and has not played since. He has skated at practice, leading to rumors that he might be able to play again in the postseason.
The surgery repaired a torn ACL, and General Manager Pierre Gauthier said the recovery time is estimated at six months -- which means the 31-year-old defenseman would miss the early weeks of the 2010-11 season.
The powerplay might be the area where the team misses Markov the most, as the player is comparable to Sergei Gonchar in terms of productivity. He’s one of the league’s most underrated defenseman, in my opinion. Considering the fact that the Canadiens have yet to score on Michael Leighton, it seems like his absence finally caught up to them.