The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without their star winger Jake Guentzel for the beginning of the 2023-24 season due to injury. They'll need to adjust their lineup to absorb his absence.
With one year left on his contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, winger Jake Guentzel seemed like a strong candidate for an early extension. Last season, he led his team in goals (36) and was third in total points (73). Guentzel is a speedy, dynamic forward.
Now, the Penguins will start the 2023-24 NHL season without Guentzel. He underwent successful ankle surgery earlier this week and will be reevaluated in 12 weeks. This is bad news for the Penguins, who missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season for the first time in 17 years. The good news is they shouldn't be without Guentzel for terribly long.
The organization, led by president of hockey operations/general Manager Kyle Dubas, has made some moves this summer to improve the roster following last season's disappointment. These moves include signing defenseman Ryan Graves and trading for winger Reilly Smith.
How will the Penguins absorb the temporary loss of Guentzel? There are a few ways they can plug the hole and keep things moving until he returns. Here are three ways the Penguins can address Guentzel's absence.
How the Penguins can address Jake Guentzel's absence: Trade for Erik Karlsson
It's unusual to suggest that a defenseman take the place of a forward, but Erik Karlsson can make that type of impact. Karlsson wouldn't literally be able to fill Guentzel's spot in the lineup. Another winger would need to play on the top line to fill the hole. However, the Penguins would be satisfied with getting less production out of their top-line winger if they had one of the best offensive defensemen in the game in their lineup.
The rumor mill has been buzzing all summer long about the San Jose Sharks trading Karlsson. It's reportedly between the Penguins and the Carolina Hurricanes in the Karlsson sweepstakes. Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang are in favor of the trade.
The Penguins were already interested in nabbing Karlsson, and the loss of Guentzel for the beginning of the season makes this trade even more necessary. He doesn't come cheap, though. Dubas would have to maneuver the salary cap in order to make it work.
If the Penguins can pull off this trade, they'd have some breathing room while Guentzel recovers. Karlsson scored 25 goals last season, the most of any defenseman in the NHL, and the third-most of any player on the Sharks. He also contributed a staggering 76 assists, bringing his point total to 101, the most of any player on his team. The Penguins would relish the production from Karlsson.
How the Penguins can address Jake Guentzel's absence: Promote a prospect
The Penguins don't have the deepest prospect pool, so finding a Guentzel replacement among the forward prospects would be a challenge. If they don't land Karlsson or make another move, leaning on a prospect for production will be difficult. Realistically, Sam Poulin could be the best choice for a prospect to join the NHL lineup.
Poulin was drafted by the Penguins in the first round in 2019. He stepped away from his spot in the AHL last season due to mental health concerns before returning at the end of the season. Poulin attended the Penguins development camp in July and is ready to play.
While Poulin projects as a middle-six winger and not a top-line winger, he could get a chance with the NHL club during Guentzel's absence. The 22-year-old has played in three NHL games, and this could be the season he sees more action. With the Penguins down a winger, Poulin could fill the hole in the lineup even if it means the lines need to be shuffled around.
Are there any other prospects who could realistically make the jump to the NHL during Guentzel's absence? Jonathan Gruden is the other name that comes to mind. The 23-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Ottawa Senators. He was acquired by the Penguins via trade, and he's played in three NHL games so far. Gruden should see some NHL games this upcoming season, although he's not expected to be a mainstay in the NHL quite yet.
How the Penguins can address Jake Guentzel's absence: Add forward depth
The third route to addressing Guentzel's absence is adding to the forward depth by signing a free agent or making a trade. The remaining pool of free agents is very light, but considering that the Penguins will need to make room for Guentzel to return later in the fall, they wouldn't want to add a top-tier winger anyway. They just need someone to plug the hole. Plus, they need to keep the salary cap in mind.
Head coach Mike Sullivan will have to shuffle the lines around to figure out who will play on the top line, which Sidney Crosby centers. Adding some forward depth could help the Penguins get over the hump and stay afloat until Guentzel returns. At this point, who is available to play left wing?
One LW still on the market is Tomas Tatar, who is still searching for a home after the conclusion of a two-year contract with the New Jersey Devils. He scored 20 goals during the 2022-23 season but didn't perform well during the playoffs.
Tatar is not the best choice for a top-line winger, but adding him to the roster would give the Penguins some flexibility, as he is capable of playing up and down the lineup where needed. He's most useful in the middle six, so this move could require a little shuffling.
Fans were already hoping the Penguins would land Erik Karlsson, and now they're pulling for this trade even more. If the trade doesn't pan out, will the Pens add Tatar or another forward to address their offensive needs? Will they find some magic in a young prospect? Each of the answers probably requires some shuffling around. It will be interesting to see how the organization addresses the absence of Jake Guentzel as he heals from surgery.