Pittsburgh Penguins Forward to Begin Rehab, Faces Possible Surgery

Almost a week ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins made it official that forward Noel Acciari will miss the rest of the season. The news shocked many because Acciari had appeared in all 79 games for the Penguins leading up to that.

During the course of the season, he scored five goals and seven assists for a sum of 12 points, but also had 100 blocked shots and 180 shots on goal, showcasing his worth as a solid two-way threat.

The team did not give any information on the severity of Acciari's injury initially. But at the Penguins' end-of-year locker cleanout, Acciari gave a clearer picture of what prompted his shutdown.

He made it official that he has been dealing with a hip issue for a while now, which includes a pair of muscle strains and tears.

While he is optimistic that a rehab procedure will enable him to bypass surgery, he did mention that going under the knife remains an option.

The 33-year-old veteran said that if the Penguins are to be playoff-contending once more, the whole team must entirely buy into the winning mentality.

He feels that the want is present, but understands that there's a mental obstacle the team will have to get past. Acciari started his NHL career with the Boston Bruins, playing for four seasons from 2015 to 2019.

He recorded 31 points (18 goals, 13 assists) and 505 hits in 180 games with Boston before inking a three-year, $5 million contract with the Florida Panthers in 2019.