Defenseman Mark Pysyk. Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps helping to explain Monday’s signing of Robert Hagg, the Detroit Red Wings have announced that Mark Pysyk has undergone successful surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon. He has been given a recovery timeline of four to six months.

Pysyk, 30, signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Red Wings worth $850K on July 14.

While a fourth-month recovery would still allow him to play a good chunk of the season with Detroit, Achilles injuries are notorious for long rehab times, meaning Pysyk’s year is completely up in the air at this point.

Since it happened early in the offseason, there is a good chance he is able to return at some point, though the Red Wings are seemingly preparing for life without him. Hagg, who actually paired with Pysyk for most of 2021-22 in Buffalo, was signed earlier Monday to a very similar one-year deal, replacing the defensive depth the team lost.

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