After being sidelined for about a month, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Joni Pitkanen will likely miss another four weeks after undergoing knee surgery.
That cannot be the most comforting situation for Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford, who gave Pitkanen a three-year, $13.5 million contract extension last summer.
The 28-year-old defenseman has been a workhorse for Carolina ever since he was traded there from the Edmonton Oilers before the 2008-09 season. His point production has been on par for his usual work this season (12 points in 21 games), but his -10 rating shows that he wasn’t immune to the struggles in Raleigh.