The Pittsburgh Penguins announced on X that Jake Guentzel will play in tonight's season opener against the Chicago Blackhawks after recovering from the ankle surgery he had on Aug. 4.

Jake Guentzel has been participating in practice recently with the Penguins, and it is big news that he is ready to play in the season opener against the Blackhawks after getting surgery. He is a key forward for a team that is looking to return to the playoffs this year.

This is a big year for Guentzel, as he is entering his final year on his contract with the Penguins. He is entering his age 29 season, and with the salary cap likely going up next offseason, he could be in for a nice contract in free agency. However, Guentzel has expressed his desire to remain with the Penguins. It will be worth monitoring whether or not Kyle Dubas will negotiate an extension with him. It could be one of the first big decisions for Kyle Dubas with the Penguins, outside of trading for Erik Karlsson.

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The Penguins have an aging core with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and now Erik Karlsson. Guentzel is a key offensive player, he put up 73 points last season and is a former 40 goal scorer, according to Hockey Reference.

If the Penguins have visions of getting one more Stanley Cup with this core of players, Guentzel being a heavy contributor is a must.

It will be interesting to see how he looks in the season opener against the Blackhawks.