Bruins' Brad Marchand out for six months after undergoing hip surgery

BOSTON -- The Bruins snuck in some news ahead of the long weekend, though it's not the kind of news that Boston fans will want to hear. Brad Marchand had to undergo hip surgery on Friday, and will spend the next six months recovering.

That means the Bruins will start the 2022-23 season without Marchand, who led the team with 80 points last season.

Marchand underwent successful hip arthroscopy and labral repair on both hips, the Bruins announced Friday, with his recovery time expected to be six months. That would put his return to the Boston lineup at the end of December, barring any setbacks.

Marchand was second on the Bruins with 32 goals (David Pastrnak led the way with 40) and dished out a team-high 48 assists in his 70 regular season games in 2021-22. He added four more goals and seven assists over Boston's seven playoff games, leading the team with 11 postseason points.