NHL star undergoes major surgery, jeopardizing start of upcoming season

Troy Terry underwent surgery on June 9 to address a hip impingement and a labral tear, the Anaheim Ducks announced this morning, with a full recovery expected in approximately five to six months.

That timeline puts his return squarely into late November or December, well into the 2026-27 regular season.

"Injury Update: Troy Terry underwent successful surgery on June 9 to address hip impingement and a labral tear. He has begun the rehabilitation process and is expected to make a full recovery in approximately 5-6 months."

- Anaheim Ducks

It is not a small absence. Terry carries a $7 million cap hit and finished the regular season with 57 points in 61 games, including 19 goals and 38 assists.

He also added 11 points across 12 playoff games, logging 3 goals and 8 assists as the Ducks made their postseason push.

Those are top-six numbers at top-six money. Missing him for the first two months of a season is the kind of thing that can quietly derail a team's early positioning.

The hip impingement and labral tear is not a soft-tissue tweak. It is a structural fix, the kind of surgery where the rehab timeline is real and non-negotiable. Think of it like replacing a load-bearing beam mid-construction: you don't rush it without risking the whole wall.

Ducks face early-season depth questions with Terry sidelined

Anaheim finished with a 43-33-6 record and 92 points, so this is no longer a team quietly tanking. They have expectations now.

Head coach Joel Quenneville will need forward depth in the top six while Terry works through rehab, and GM Pat Verbeek will likely need to address that this offseason.

Terry's regular-season cap hit of $7 million is a significant commitment for a player who may not play game one of the new year.

He also contributed 2 shorthanded goals and 2 shorthanded assists this season, making him a special-teams piece that is not easy to replace out of the depth chart.

Cutter Gauthier posted 41 goals and 69 points in 76 games during the regular season, so the offensive talent is there at the top of the lineup.

But the second line loses real production without Terry. Backfilling 57 points of output with internal options is asking a lot, even with this group's upside.

The Ducks confirmed the surgery was successful and that rehabilitation has already begun.

That is the good news. The question heading into the offseason is whether Verbeek moves to add a short-term top-six piece, or whether he rolls with what he has and trusts the young depth to absorb the minutes.

Neither option is without risk.