Washington Capitals goaltender Henrik Lundqvist announced on Monday that he plans to undergo open heart surgery. In the announcement, Lundqvist, 38, said that the surgery is for "aortic valve replacement, aortic root, and ascending aortic replacement."
"Last three weeks, my focus has shifted from training camp and the upcoming season to my health and what I can and can't do," Lundqvist wrote on Twitter. "Scheduled for an open heart surgery now ... We all have our mountains to climb. Staying positive here and set on the road to recovery."
Lundqvist spent the first 15 seasons of his NHL career with the New York Rangers before being bought out of the final year of his contract with the team in September. In October, Lundqvist signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Capitals.
However, earlier in December, Lundqvist revealed that he was going to miss the 2021 season due to a heart issue. At the time, the goalie noted that he does not yet know what the future holds, but promised to keep the public updated as he learns the next steps he will take. This surgery is one of those next steps. It remains to be seen what his 2021-2022 season will look like, as he is only one a one-year deal with Washington.
Lundqvist has posted a 2.43 goals-against-average and a .918 save percentage in the regular season throughout his professional career. The Swedish netminder also has played in over 1,000 career games and won the Vezina Trophy in 2012, which is awarded to the league's top goalie.