Can we ever get a straight answer from Montreal Canadiens’ General Manager Pierre Gauthier? On Saturday, GM Gauthier announced that star defenseman Andrei Markov will undergo arthoscopic knee surgery and will be out of action for a minimum of three weeks.

PHOTO CREDIT - CBC.ca

Whitby - December 3, 2011 - Can we ever get a straight answer from Montreal Canadiens’ General Manager Pierre Gauthier?

On Saturday, GM Gauthier announced that star defenseman Andrei Markov will undergo arthoscopic knee surgery and will be out of action for a minimum of three weeks.

Until just recently, Markov had been practicing with the team and many believed he would return to action on the team’s western road trip which just concluded this afternoon in Los Angeles. GM Gauthier told reporters that medical tests performed on Markov’s knee this past week indicated he had additional swelling around the surgically repaired knee. It is believed this additional surgery is required to clear up debris and some scarring.

Andrei Markov has not seen NHL action since November 2010 and it is expected by this writer, Canadiens’ fans will not see him return to action until sometime in late January or early February 2012.

Markov signed a three-year $17.25 million dollar contract with the Montreal Canadiens in the summer of 2011.