New Details Reveal When Alex Pietrangelo Could Shockingly Return After Major Surgery Sparks Retirement Talk

   

More details are being released on a potential return scenario for injured Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, per analyst Grant Fedoruk.

The Vegas Golden Knights suffered a considerable blow to their defense when it was announced that veteran defenseman Alex Pietrangelo would miss the entire upcoming year.

He's set to undergo a bilateral femur reconstruction operation, which the Golden Knights openly admitted that they couldn't promise would result in him being able to play again.

Joining the Jason Gregor Show, analyst Grant Fedoruk speculated that Pietrangelo's chances of ever returning to play NHL-level hockey are very low but not impossible, but that his recovery time would last easily over a calendar year.

The best case scenario in a recover timeline from this is 12 to 18 months minimum. The chances of getting back to playing NHL hockey again would be very low.

Fedoruk was also sure to add that this wasn't a scenario in which Pietrangelo could miss time in regular season play while returning for the postseason, as their captain Mark Stone has controversially done on more than one occasion.

A 2x Stanley Cup winner, Pietrangelo's NHL career could very well be over, especially if this surgery doesn't prove successful.

In a statement, Pietrangelo recently disclosed that the last several years had been physically difficult on him.

 
The past few years have been very challenging on my physical well-being, and I am in a difficult position with my overall playing health. After exploring options with doctor as well as my family, it's been advised to remove the intensity of hockey to see if my body can improve so that I can return to a normal quality of life.

He has 637 points (148G, 489A) in 1,087 career games with the St. Louis Blues and Golden Knights.