The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2023 offseason is going very well. New president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has already addressed numerous issues that plagued the team last season, fixing the bottom six and re-tooling the defence. Erik Karlsson, Lars Eller, and Noel Acciari are just some of the new arrivals who will be donning the black-and-gold this season. However, despite all the positivity, they’ve also received a bit of a blow with the announcement that forward Jake Guentzel will miss the start of the 2023-24 campaign recovering from ankle surgery.
Guentzel underwent surgery last Wednesday at Twin City Orthopedics in Minneapolis and is scheduled to be re-evaluated in approximately 12 weeks. This timeline extends well into October, which means he would miss the Penguins’ season opener against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 10. Although he’s only expected to miss the first five games of the season, his presence in the lineup will be missed, especially if the timeline extends beyond projections.
Penguins’ New Arrivals Can Slot In
Guentzel has been a fixture in the Penguins’ lineup since he was drafted 77th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft. Entering the final year of a five-year, $30 million contract, he finished last season with 36 goals and 73 points in 78 games – good for third in team scoring behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. He established himself as Crosby’s favourite linemate, with their quasi-telepathic connection that led to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. A player like Guentzel isn’t easily replaced, but the Penguins can organize by committee to keep the top six intact until he returns.
The most promising combination is Crosby at center, with Rickard Rakell and newly-acquired Reilly Smith on his wings. Rakell has experience with Crosby over the last few campaigns as the Penguins struggled to find a replacement for Malkin after the Russian went down with injury. Smith finished the 2022-23 season with 26 goals and 56 points in 78 games played, which was the second-best statistical season of his career.
Related: Grading the Penguins’ Trade for Smith from Golden Knights
The other new arrival that could take pressure off the Penguins’ top six is Vinnie Hinostroza, who signed for one year worth $775K after spending last season with the Buffalo Sabres. In 2022-23, he developed into one of the Sabres’ most effective and reliable players, helping them to their best finish since their last playoff appearance in 2011. He also served as a fantastic mentor to the team’s young core of Dylan Cozens, Owen Power, and Peyton Krebs and provided secondary scoring on a team that desperately needed it.
Guentzel’s Timetable for Return Should Ease Concerns
Offseason surgery is never a fun topic, as it sometimes means athletes are sidelined for a full campaign or longer. In Guentzel’s case, the surgery was precautionary after an injury he suffered last season. After the Penguins failed to qualify for the 2023 Playoffs, both the Penguins’ medical staff and Guentzel himself decided it would be best for him to suit up for a few games to keep his strength up. According to The Athletic‘s Rob Rossi, he still felt discomfort in his ankle during this period and elected to have surgery to speed up his recovery (from ‘Penguins’ Jake Guentzel expected to miss ‘around 5 games’ after ankle surgery: Dubas,’ The Athletic, 07/08/2023).
Dubas was sure to take a cautious approach when asked about Guentzel’s return, noting that it was worth him missing the beginning of the season if the trade-off was him being back to 100% health. Dubas also said that one of his goals in free agency was to account for such a scenario.
“I don’t think that there are many ready-made replacements for Jake. He is one of the better wingers in the NHL and certainly has great chemistry with Sid. They have had great success together. With that said, one of the fortunate parts is it creates a major opportunity for our own young people that are here, but also more importantly, it was one of the things we tried to address in free agency.”
Dubas on Jake Guentzel’s absence (from ‘Penguins Feel Optimistic Guentzel Won’t Be Sidelined Long,’ NHL.com. 07/08/2023).
Guentzel is one of the most valuable players on the Penguins. Although he’s slated to miss at least the first two weeks of the season, his absence will be felt, especially if the timeline extends beyond what has been predicted. Despite this, the Penguins are well-equipped to handle it, as they acquired the necessary pieces in free agency.