With a new contract under his belt, the Pittsburgh Penguins can expect big things from Drew O'Connor. When the 2023-24 season kicks off, the Pittsburgh Penguins are going to need a hot start to the year, but it wouldn’t be easy. The difficulty may have gone up a little as the Penguins will be without elite goal scorer Jake Guentzel to start the season. It was announced that Guentzel underwent ankle surgery and will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks. By that point, the Penguins will have played seven regular season games, all without a key contributor. This injury to Guentzel will have its ripple effects in a number of different ways, but one might be seen far sooner than expected. Without Guentzel in the lineup, even for as few as seven games, the Penguins will need a jump to their offense; that is where Erik Karlsson enters the chat. The Penguins have been hot on Karlsson’s trail since the draft in late June, and it was already noted by Elliotte Friedman that this weekend could be huge on the trade front. Friedman believes there will be some noise on the Karlsson radar and the Penguins might be the only team still in the running. Even from the blue line, Karlsson can bring a ton of offense and help fill the gap that will be left by Guentzel. Karlsson recorded an astonishing 101 points during the 2022-23 season, and it helped earn him his third Norris Trophy. It’s pretty unlikely Karlsson can match that kind of number, but even if he produces upwards of 60+ points, it will be a net positive for the Penguins. Putting Karlsson in the lineup can be a huge boost for the Penguins offense to start the year, only to get another shot in the arm when Guentzel eventually returns. If the Penguins take advantage of the second buyout window and get out from Mikael Granlund’s deal, they will save over $4 million against the cap. Placing Guentzel on long-term injured reserve would open up another $6 million in space, but the Penguins would have to do more moving and shaking to bring him back into the fold, but the option is there. Karlsson would help the Penguins in the short and long term for the upcoming season and this Guentzel injury may have pushed them over the edge to make the call. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Jake Guentzel Undergoes Successful Ankle Surgery, Will Miss Start of Penguins Season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/jake-guentzel-ankle-surgery-miss-start-pittsburgh-penguins-season] Penguins Should Consider Mikael Granlund Buyout in Second Window [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-consider-mikael-granlund-buyout-second-window] Penguins to Close In on Erik Karlsson This Weekend [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-close-in-erik-karlsson-weekend] Penguins Promote Multiple Front Office Staffers, Name Kyle Dubas GM [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-promote-front-office-kyle-dubas-gm] Penguins Top-Six Better Prepared To Carry Offensive Load [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-top-six-prepared-offensive-load] * undefined * undefined
