Michael Bunting had an unpleasant Wednesday.
Pittsburgh Penguin head coach Mike Sullivan revealed that the veteran forward had surgery to remove his appendix, which will lead to an indefinite absence.
“He’ll be out here for the next little while,” Sullivan said Thursday, per team reporter Michelle Crechiolo. “I don’t know the timeframe at this point. He has an uncanny ability to score, in particular on the power play. He’s just a competitive guy. He makes it hard on our opponents and also has an uncanny ability to irritate people out there, and that helps the group.”
The 29-year-old was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes as part of the return for Jake Guentzel and posted 14 goals and 29 points in 58 games this season.
The Penguins are expected to lean on Bokondji Imama — who was a full practice participant — to fill the void moving forward. Sullivan said a forward could be recalled from AHL-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before they host the Flyers at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday, however.
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