Pavelec undergoes knee surgery, out at least two weeks

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This article was published 06/03/2017 (3113 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec has undergone arthroscopic surgery and will be sidelined for at least two or three weeks while he recovers.

“He had a scope done (this morning) on the knee,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said after today’s pregame skate. “It went well. The normal window is two to three weeks for a player… but it’s a goalie so I can’t tell you. He has to be able to get down into the butterfly, he’s got to be able to push across and be strong. It may be two, it may be four.”

Since recalling Pavelec from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose Jan. 18, Winnipeg has carried him along with Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson.

Pavelec has not played since being injured in a game against the Minnesota Wild Feb. 7.

Maurice said Hellebuyck will make his 11th consecutive start tonight when Winnipeg hosts the San Jose Sharks at the MTS Centre. Game time is 7 p.m. (TSN3, TSN 1290). The club has no plans to recall Moose goaltender Eric Comrie in the interim.

Maurice was asked to reflect on Pavelec’s time in Winnipeg, if indeed the pending unrestricted free agent has played his last game in a Jets uniform.

“I would wait til we got to a point that was definite and I’ll have an answer for you,” said Maurice, who would not rule out playing Pavelec again this season.

In other injury news, veteran defenceman Tyler Myers continued his rehabilitation from surgery for a lower-body injury, skating prior to his team’s morning workout.

Myers has been skating on alternate days and Maurice remained hopeful he could be ready for active duty sometime between the third week of March and the first week of April.

“We won’t know until we get right up to it, till he’s going every day and then it’s going to be how strong he feels,” Maurice said.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14