Uniondale, NY (Sports Network) - The New York Islanders announced Saturday that goaltender Rick DiPietro has undergone arthroscopic knee surgery and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks.
The Islanders, who did not indicate when the netminder had surgery, said in a release that the procedure was to repair a meniscus injury. The team had been non-specific about the injury until Saturday with DiPietro appearing in only three games this season.
The Isles signed their prized goaltender to a mammoth 15-year contract worth $67.5 million prior to the 2006-07 season, but the former first overall selection in the 2000 NHL draft has since succumbed to a series of ailments over the past two seasons and underwent season-ending hip surgery last March. He also had surgery to repair a torn labrum on his left hip following the 2007 playoffs.
New York entered Saturday dead-last in the league with only five points in what is shaping up to be a tough start to the 2008-09 campaign.
DiPietro has a career mark of 116-111-8 in this his seventh NHL season with a 2.79 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage in 271 games.
