Penguins Hopeful Jake Guentzel Won't Miss Much Time
Pittsburgh Penguins president and GM Kyle Dubas is hopeful Jake Guentzel only misses a handful of games.
It won’t be easy starting the season without Jake Guentzel in the lineup, but some are confident he won’t be absent from the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup for long.
According to Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas, he’s hopeful that Guentzel’s absence is only around five games.
When it was initially announced that Guentzel underwent ankle surgery, the expectation was that he would be re-evaluated in 12 weeks.
Exactly 12 weeks from the announcement landed on October 27; by that date, the Penguins would have played seven regular season games.
The game count doesn’t match, but it at least shows that the Penguins’ front office is confident in a speedy recovery from Guentzel.
When it was announced Guentzel underwent a surgery, many questioned where the injury came from.
Immediate speculation concluded that it had to have happened during a game with Minnesota’s Da Beauty League, a summer hockey league Guentzel often participates in.
Dubas confirmed that the injury did not stem from any activities at the summer league.
According to Dubas, Guentzel ended the 2022-23 season with the injury and the team was hopeful he would progress back to health during the offseason.
On the final media day of the season, Guentzel did state his intention to represent Team USA at the IIHF World Championships, but was held from play as a precaution.
Participation in Da Beauty League was supposed to be part of Guetnzel’s rehabilitation.
When no improvements were being had on his ankle, it was decided that surgery would be the best option to get Guentzel back to 100% as soon as possible.
If Guentzel is only out for five games, that would not make him eligible for long-term injured reserve.
The injury would have to keep him off of the ice for at least 10 games and 24 days.
Even with Dubas' confidence in a quick-healing situation, Guentzel will likely not start the season on LTIR.
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