Penguins' Guentzel out minimum 12 weeks after ankle surgery

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel underwent successful right ankle surgery and will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks, the team announced Friday.

"As Jake continued to increase the intensity of his preparation for the upcoming season, it was apparent that his ankle injury was not resolving in a way that was satisfactory to he or the Penguins," general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement.

Guentzel will miss at least the first seven games of the season based on the 12-week timeline.

The 28-year-old tallied 36 goals and 73 points in 78 games last season. Guentzel has led the Penguins in goals in consecutive years and has reached the 40-goal mark twice in his career. He's averaged over 20 minutes each of the past four seasons.

Guentzel's $6-million cap hit will be eligible to begin the season on long-term injured reserve. The Penguins would have just under $2.8 million of cap space should Guentzel be placed on LTIR, according to CapFriendly.