Capitals goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to undergo open-heart surgery
Washington Capitals goaltender Henrik Lundqvist announced earlier this month that he would miss the 2020-21 NHL season due to a heart condition. On Monday, he provided a further update on his medical status.
Lundqvist revealed in a Monday statement on Twitter that he is scheduled to undergo open-heart surgery, more specifically an aortic valve replacement, aortic root and ascending aortic replacement.
It's hard to imagine Lundqvist returning to the NHL after undergoing heart surgery and being out of the game for a year. He'll turn 39 in March and the only other goaltenders age 38 or older still playing are Pekka Rinne, Ryan Miller, Craig Anderson and Mike Smith.
Lundqvist spent his entire career with the New York Rangers before signing a deal with the Capitals in free agency this offseason. If his playing days are over, expect the former Vezina Trophy winner to return to the Rangers in an off-ice role.
In an interview with Johan Rylander of the Goteborgs-Posten last month, Lundqvist confirmed that he has a job lined up in New York after retirement.
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