TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins are hoping to have a trade in place for forward Jake Guentzel by Wednesday evening. The news is significant as it confirms that the Penguins are committed to moving out Guentzel to bring younger pieces into the organization.
In the report, Dreger indicates that the Penguins are looking for a first-round pick, a young NHL-caliber player, as well as prospects. TSN’s Chris Johnston is also reporting that the teams looking to acquire Guentzel are not interested in pursuing a contract extension and are purely viewing him as a rental.
The news comes only a day after reporting indicated the Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights were two primary suitors for Guentzel’s services. Without a doubt, Vancouver can create the best trade package between the two in terms of prospects they would be able to send to Pittsburgh, but the Golden Knights still have a 2024 first-round pick to send to the Penguins, with Vancouver not having a draft pick until the third round of this year’s upcoming draft.
Albeit a rare scenario in the NHL, the Penguins are putting themselves in a position to trade two months of Guentzel for much-needed prospect and draft capital and re-sign him to a lengthy contract in the offseason. It has become clear throughout Guentzel’s eight-year career in Pittsburgh that both he and franchise icon Sidney Crosby are very close both off and on the ice.
Now 10 points back of a playoff position in both the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference wild card race, the logic behind trading Guentzel is clear. However, given that Guentzel is so close to Crosby, the ramifications of a trade may be heavy on the team and General Manager Kyle Dubas.
Nevertheless, whichever team ultimately acquires Guentzel, will undoubtedly be favoring his impressive track record during the Stanley Cup playoffs. In 58 career playoff games, Guentzel has scored 34 goals and 58 points overall, including a Stanley Cup championship against the Nashville Predators in 2017.
Sitting 11th, 12th, and 14th in the league in GF/G, respectively, the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Golden Knights all have a need for Guentzel’s offensive prowess come playoff time. Ultimately, there are likely several teams still involved in the mix, allowing Dubas to take the best deal on the table.
I’d rather just try resigning him if they don’t get a decent offer.
Trading him for pennies on the dollar makes little sense if they aren’t going full blown rebuild (yet).
And if they are…might as well ship out pretty much anyone under 28 they can other than Sid.
They will get quality especially with Rutherford involved. Point per game players don’t get traded often and he’s by far the best bet to put a team over the top.
Why? This team isn’t a playoff team next year either with him or without. Dumb idea to try to resign Jake at this juncture.
Sid is not under 28.
Good catch. I meant over 28
If Dubas and ownership agree with you, then they should pull the ripcord on a full rebuild then.
I suspect they do not (right or wrong) and are going to attempt to retool on the fly to still attempt to compete the next two years.
If so, trading him for a lackluster return doesn’t make much sense either. Just sign him and trade him again in a year or two when they are ready to pull the cord.
No, this team needs to shuffle the deck.
Every team in the league has a scouting report a mile long on the Guentzel-Crosby-Rust line and as effective as they are, they can be shut down when the other team focuses on it.
Rakell is probably not movable right now, but I’d trade Guentzel and Smith, for sure, Listen on Rust. Listen on Eller. Listen hard on Petterson since his value is likely at it’s peak.
Trade one of the goalies.
Even if they had a hot streak instead of a losing streak, this team needs a new mix of secondary pieces.
Especially if they have a good idea that JG will return during the offseason. Could really improve the chances next season if they can get a good young roster player since theyre not gonna rebuild.
Honestly, unless Sid DEMANDS that Jake be resigned for him to resign, I wouldn’t bring Jake back (unless he’s taking a deal he should never take).
This is (overall) not a bad team per se, but it needs a new mix. The current mix is both stale and wrong.
If Jake comes back (or stays) Sid keeps playing what I call cute hockey, nifty little passes and chances but very perimeter, very soft, not able to score from distance (tic-tac-toe or nothing), etc. and we need to change that, not continue it.
Definitely fair points all around.
Agree with all of this. Also, with Guentzel out of the picture the Pens will have a TON of cap space to work with the next two seasons in order to get younger.
I’d acquire as many picks as I can for players like Smith, Eller, Ned, etc. and then use those picks to trade for talented younger players from teams with cap issues in the offseason. I think that’s the best way to retool the roster while still trying to compete with Crosby in the mix.
At one point Yinzer nation was dead set against such a trade, but somehow (as the team has gotten progressively worse) I don’t think this will raise as much ire in The Steel City as it might have a month ago.
(Unless they trade him for peanuts, obvi.)
This is why dubas waited it out. The team made his decision easy
What does signing Jake for 8 years accomplish? They have him and are sitting near the bottom of their division. Sooner or later the Pens need to free cap space or avoid taking big cap hits and acquire players who may be part of the next iteration pf the team. The fantasy that there is a way to ship out your bad players and get back good players is just that – a fantasy. I would think that this season proves that – arguably, this version of the team is farther removed from contention than last season’s.
Hoping to trade him by tomorrow… because yesterday and or Thursday, Friday aren’t viable options. They have a 36 hour window? Who the hell cares the Penguins had the fourth worst future outlook in the offseason and then they traded for Erik Karlsson . Now they rank as the worst. Treading water by day just to eventually and ultimately drown.
Anything written about the Penguins is garbage. I only want to know the team that squires him that’s a story
I laugh at Vegas. They don’t have the goods for Jake IMO. A first and Brisson doesn’t do it, especially if you think Brisson is a bust which I do. Send them Reilly Smith back for a 3rd or 4th.
Yeah Brisson doesn’t light my fire any longer. He could still be a useful piece but his ceiling certainly isnt what most of us thought it was.
Smith and Guentzel to Vegas? Kyle Dufus did a spectacular job in his first year with the Pens.
Dubas didn’t have much to work with and was tasked with the impossible. Graves is really the only move that he made that was truly bad, but that even looked solid at the time.
I’d trade Guentzel to Vegas for Paul Cotter, 2024 1st round pick and another forward prospect or a 2nd/3rd round pick in 25.
Trade Jake and Jerry they have value, Eller may have value to a contending team, If Jake will take 5 years, resign him after season if he is traded to team as a rental only. Adding a high pick and a young roster player, with chance to resign, best case at this point.
One of goalies need to go with seemingly viable goalie in WB to fill the 2nd goalie roster spot.
Gene, needs to go away….he is severely diminished, but he is not just going to walk with $20MM. I am a huge fan, but he is done being a great C2.
What they needed to do was not resign Geno in the first place. Ship done sailed on that — full no movement for two more years and a relatively unbuyout-able deal — and all Pittsburgh has left is the least of numerous bad choices, with a heap of giant long-term deals with NMCs handed out to elderly players. So sell anything possible to the rafters: Guentzel, Rust, Jarry, Nedeljkovic, because this team’s going to spend the next five years being Arizona/Buffalo, and none of them will be worth much by the time the Pens are relevant again.
JG is heading to Vegas. I’d bet on that.
but for what return? i’m not as certain.