Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Jake Guentzel underwent ankle surgery last week. The initial word from the team was that Guentzel would be re-evaluated 12 weeks after his surgery, but it looks like there could be some good news for the Penguins.

Jake Guentzel is now just expected to miss around five games to begin the 2023 NHL season, according to a tweet from Rob Rossi. This would be huge for the Penguins if this ends up being the case. The start of the season is October 10th, so if this holds true, Guentzel will be back before 12 weeks have even passed since the surgery. Pittsburgh's first five games of the season are against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Washington Capitals, the Calgary Flames, the Detroit Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues.

Having Guentzel miss such a small amount of time would be a major win. He is one of the Penguins best players and had a terrific season in 2022. Last year, Guentzel had 73 points in 78 games. He netted 36 goals and added 37 assists. He will be a crucial piece to the puzzle in Pittsburgh this season.

Last season was the first time since 2006 that the Penguins missed the playoffs. Their 16-year streak was the longest active playoff streak in all four major sports (hockey, baseball, basketball and football). The Boston Bruins hold the record for longest playoff streak in the NHL at 29 straight seasons.

If the Penguins are going to start another streak, they need all of their key guys to be healthy. Hopefully for Pittsburgh, Guentzel does only miss five games, but it's also important that he doesn't rush back into things, and that he returns when he's back at 100%.