Pittsburgh Penguins Forward Sidelined Indefinitely After Undergoing Emergency Surgery

Less than two months after being involved in a car accident just outside the Pittsburgh Penguins' arena, Michael Bunting's bad luck continues.

Indeed, head coach Mike Sullivan announced that the forward had to undergo emergency surgery to remove his appendix.

As of now, the team has indicated that the timeframe for his return remains unknown.

An update on his health should be provided soon, but players usually recover from appendix surgeries quite quickly.

With the Penguins looking to make another desperate push to qualify for the playoffs, they'll need all the help they can get.

In 58 games this season, the 29-year-old forward has scored 14 goals and 15 assists, playing an average of 15 minutes per game, mostly in a top-six role.

It'll be interesting to see what Kyle Dubas does to replace him in the lineup.

Bunting always brings a steady, energetic presence on the ice, inspiring his teammates to be more involved in the game.

However, like the rest of his team, he has been struggling as of late.

The Penguins lost their last four games, all against division rivals.

Tonight, the team will need to play without Bunting for yet another game against the Philadelphia Flyers, an opponent they must beat if they want to get back into the playoff race.

As of now, the Pens are eighth in the Metropolitan Division, and another loss could crush Sidney Crosby's hopes of reaching the playoffs this year.

If they win, they will get past the New York Islanders and take the seventh rank of the division, only two points away from the Flyers.

Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Kyle Dubas to see what he'll do ahead of the trade deadline.

More to come.