*Photo from NHL.com*
One of the stars in the Steel City will be out of commission. Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel will be out for at least 12 weeks following surgery, according to an announcement by the Penguins on Friday.
Guentzel underwent right ankle surgery on August 2 and will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks as per the Penguins announcement. If Guentzel were out for the 12 week timeline, that would be a 7 game absence for Guentzel to start the season.
Penguins president of hockey operations and GM Kyle Dubas said in a statement that "As Jake continued to increase the intensity of his preparation for the upcoming season, it was apparent that his ankle injury was not resolving in a way that was satisfactory to he or the Penguins. In collaboration with Jake - his representative Ben Hankinson of Octagon Sports, the Penguins medical team led by Dr. Dharmesh Vyas of UPMC Sports Medicine, and Dr. Coetzee - it was decided that surgery would be the best way to ensure Jake would be at his best in 2023-2024."
Last season was Guentzel's 7th season with the Penguins, falling 3 points shy of tying a career high. He had 36 goals and 37 assists for 73 points, averaging 20:07 of ice time with a +2 rating over 78 regular season games for the Penguins, who failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Last season, 11 of Guentzel's 36 goals were on the power play, tied for the team lead with Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell. He had 6 game winning goals, putting him in second behind Sidney Crosby with 9. Guentzel has scored at least 20 goals in each of his last 6 seasons.
Guentzel has played all 7 of his NHL seasons with the Penguins since being drafted by the team in 2013. He has racked up 197 goals and 217 assists, posting a +44 rating while averaging 19:00 of ice time in 453 regular season games. Guentzel also has 34 goals and 24 assists with a +4 rating in 58 playoff games.
If Guentzel misses more than 12 weeks as part of his recovery, the Penguins could opt to place him on LTIR, which requires a minimum absence of 10 games and 24 days. It would also free up $6 million in cap space for the Penguins, putting them roughly $2.8 million under the cap until he returns.
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