The Latest on Jake Guentzel
Photo Credit: MSN.com
It has been reported that the Carolina Hurricanes are shopping their all-star forward Jake Guentzel for a mid-round pick.
The Hurricanes acquired Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline, knowing Guentzel only had one year of control on his contract and it could potentially be a rental.
Guentzel was everything the Hurricanes could have asked for; in 17 regular-season games, he recorded eight goals and 17 assists with them. The Canes knew they were getting a cold-blooded playoff performer, as in previous years with the Penguins, in 58 playoff games, he had 34 goals and 24 assists, and in 2017, he led the playoffs in goals with 13 en route to his first Stanley Cup. This year with the Canes, he picked up right where he left off, recording four goals and five assists in the 11 playoff games the Canes played. This was not enough, as the Canes fell short again after losing to the New York Rangers in six games.
Going back to the trade deadline, the lead-up to the Guentzel trade was intense, as many teams were interested outside the Hurricanes; Most notably the Rangers, Canucks, Panthers, and Golden Knights. As we all know, he was dealt to the Hurricanes, and many questioned the return the Penguins got for a rare 40-goal scorer on the market. It’s looking more and more like the Penguins got a fair return as Michael Bunting brought an aggressive playstyle the Pens were missing, and he also contributed with six goals and 13 assists with the Pens to help them end the season on a high note.
Photo Credit: X/ChelPenguins
Guentzel will likely be dealt with before the draft or even before the Stanley Cup Final. For a player producing point-per-game numbers, he is in for a big pay raise, as this past year he was making $6 million per year. I project his next contract to be 6+ years of term and somewhere around the $9 million per year range.
My top 3 destinations
Chicago Blackhawks: With a lot of youth on the roster, bringing in a veteran who still has a lot left in the tank could make a huge impact for the Hawks. They also have the cap space to make this happen. You have to help out your franchise player and surround him with talent, and this would certainly help.
Detroit Red Wings: The team took a big step in the right direction, and I think General Manager Steve Yzerman is ready to make a splash and get this team into the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Although the two ended on bad terms, Guentzel loved Pittsburgh, and anything could happen if he wanted to come back.