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Jake Guentzel

Jake Guentzel Likely To Test Free Agency

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Hurricanes winger Jake Guentzel, nearly universally viewed as the second-best pending unrestricted free agent available, will likely still be on the market when July 1 hits, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

The possibility of returning to Carolina after the market opens hasn’t been ruled out, but he’s expected to look at other offers and potential fits around the league. His camp has had extensive extension talks with the Hurricanes since their season ended in the second round last month, but their richest offer evidently isn’t enough to keep him from at least window-shopping elsewhere.

Despite missing around a month due to injury, the 29-year-old is arguably coming off the best season of his career. After yet again putting up over a point per game on Sidney Crosby’s wing with the Penguins, Guentzel exploded after the move to Carolina, recording eight goals and 25 points in his final 17 regular-season games. He remained excellent in postseason play, tying for third on the team in scoring with nine points (four goals, five assists) in 11 games while logging the third-most ice time among forwards behind Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.

Guentzel also positively influenced the Hurricanes’ already strong possession game. With him on the ice at even strength, the Hurricanes controlled 60.2% of shot attempts, 1.5% higher than their shot attempt share without him. The 2013 third-round pick also had a positive relative possession impact in all eight of his seasons in Pittsburgh.

He also hit the 30-goal mark for the third straight season and the fourth time in his career overall. While his market value won’t eclipse Panthers pending UFA winger Sam Reinhart, who’s coming off a career-best 57 goals, he’s undoubtedly a safer signing with a long track record of point-per-game play under his belt. His short stint thus far in Carolina certainly boosts his value, proving he can still produce elite numbers away from one of the game’s all-time greats.

Former Hurricanes GM Don Waddell managed to acquire Guentzel from the Penguins without parting with a first-round pick, but he did surrender solid complementary winger Michael Bunting and a trio of prospects with NHL ceilings. His value on the open market could very well eclipse the $9.5MM mark on a max-term deal, though.

That’s money the Hurricanes’ interim management group of AGMs Eric Tulsky, Darren Yorke, and owner Tom Dundon may not be willing to commit with Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei and Teuvo Teräväinen also headed for free agency this summer, among many others. However, as Pagnotta reports, there were no mid-season extension discussions with Teräväinen, and his camp is expected to make a call next week on pursuing a last-minute agreement in Carolina or joining Guentzel in heading to market.

Guentzel is completing a five-year, $30MM extension he signed with Pittsburgh in 2018. The Nebraska native and Nebraska-Omaha collegiate product led all players in playoff scoring with 13 goals in 25 games as a rookie in 2017, helping the Pens win their second of back-to-back championships.

Morning Notes: Vesey, Guentzel, Skjei

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Sportsnet is reporting that New York Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey left Game 2 last night against the Florida Panthers after taking a high hit from Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg. Vesey was ruled out of the game with an upper-body injury before the start of the third period. The Boston, Massachusetts native has dressed in 11 playoff games this season, tallying a goal and two assists.

Vesey’s injury could allow forward Blake Wheeler to return to action. Wheeler skated in the pre-game last night but ultimately did not dress. The 37-year-old Wheeler has been out of action since he suffered a scary lower-body injury back on February 15th. There is no word yet on Vesey’s status as he is being evaluated.

In other morning notes:

  • Despite the movement in their front office with Don Waddell’s departure, the Carolina Hurricanes are reportedly engaged in contract extension talks with trade deadline acquisition Jake Guentzel (per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic). The forward was a seamless fit in Carolina and has expressed an interest in staying with the Hurricanes long-term. LeBrun says that the Hurricanes initiated the contract talks with the star forward but it remains to be seen if they will be able to meet his asking price which could hover around $9MM annually on a long-term contract. Guenzel has averaged 36 goals per 82 games during his career and will be in high demand should he reach the open market.
  • The Hurricanes have also reportedly continued contract discussions with defenseman Brady Skjei (as per Pierre LeBrun). The 30-year-old has been with Carolina for five seasons and has been in extension talks with the Hurricanes intermittently since last summer. Skjei is coming off a career year in which he posted 13 goals and 34 assists in 80 games and has become an exceptional two-way defenseman playing alongside Brett Pesce. Skjei does a bit of everything and his offensive outburst this past season isn’t outside of the norm for him given that he had 18 goals during the 2022-23 season. He will be in high demand if he reaches free agency on July 1st.

Hurricanes Notes: Skjei, Pesce, Guentzel

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Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei has shared that getting a “fair offer” will be his top priority as he enters free agency, per Walt Ruff of NHL.com (Twitter link). Skjei is coming off a career year, posting a career-high 47 points in 80 games and averaging the second-most ice time on Carolina’s defense. The Hurricanes have expressed interest in hanging onto Skjei, but his strong performance – following an 18-goal season last year – has positioned him as one of the top names set to hit the open market.

Skjei, 30, is likely set to join the team he’ll finish his career with on his next deal. It’d be no surprise if that remained Carolina, who Skjei joined via trade from the New York Rangers in the 2019-20 season – with Carolina sending the 2019 first-round pick used on Hendrix Lapierre the other way. After five up-and-down seasons in New York, Skjei found a home in Carolina – becoming a much more consistent and reliable defender in all three zones. He’s appeared in 302 games and recorded 135 points – both ranked second among Hurricanes defensemen since 2019, behind Jaccob Slavin. Skjei, Slavin, and Brett Pesce have become pillars of the Hurricanes’ defense in the years since, though Carolina is already planning to part ways with the latter. That should give them more cap space to negotiate with Skjei, though they’re sure to have no shortage of competition in pitching a “fair offer”.

Other notes from Carolina:

  • Speaking of Pesce, he shared with Chip Alexander of The News and Observer that he was close to returning from injury before the season ended, sharing he was hoping to return in the Conference Finals. Pesce was bearing through a fracture in his fibula, near his ankle, suffered in Game 2 against the New York Islanders. He missed the final nine games of Carolina’s season – a quiet end to what was a quiet season, with Pesce posting a career-low 13 points through 70 games. He finished his closeout interview by adding that he’s hoping both he and defense-partner Skjei will find a way to re-sign in Carolina, saying “We don’t want our story to end, for sure. We both want to be back, it’s pretty obvious.”
  • New Carolina Hurricanes star Jake Guentzel didn’t rule out a return to Carolina during locker room clean-out, though he made sure to emphasize that it’s a business at the end of the day, shared Ruff (Twitter link). Guentzel was dazzling in Carolina, recording 25 points in 17 regular-season games and nine points in 11 postseason games. He was, in his usual fashion, one of the team’s most consistent performers in the playoffs, serving a strong role on Carolina’s top line after spending the regular season throughout the top six. Guentzel, 29, would challenge Steven Stamkos as the most coveted player on the open market this year, should he enter free agency. That excitement could have him interested in playing the field, though he made sure to speak highly of the Hurricanes in his final interview, sharing “This team for sure can win a Stanley Cup. I think it’s right there… I want to win more than anything and that’s all I care about.”

Penguins Notes: Pettersson, Guentzel Trade Return, Harkins

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Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson is one of their notable extension candidates this summer as he’ll officially enter the final year of his contract in July.  Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examined some of the possible comparable players for the blueliner, concluding that a long-term agreement for him could approach $6MM per season, a fair-sized raise for someone making just over $4MM per year now.  The 28-year-old is coming off a career year, one that saw him collect 28 points in 82 games while logging over 22 minutes a night which certainly will help his case in negotiations.  Considering the long-term deals Pittsburgh has on the books already, it’s quite possible that the team could look to move him if they feel he’ll be too expensive to keep around.

Elsewhere in Pittsburgh:

  • As a result of Carolina being eliminated from the playoffs on Thursday, the Jake Guentzel trade from March is now finalized. CapFriendly points out (Twitter link) that because the Hurricanes lost (failing to reach the Stanley Cup Final), the conditional 2024 second-round pick (44th overall from Philadelphia) they gave up will not be upgraded to their 2024 first-round selection.  Meanwhile, the conditional fifth-round pick will no longer transfer to Pittsburgh since Carolina isn’t going to win the Stanley Cup this year.
  • Forward Jansen Harkins is slated to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer. Although he eventually earned the trust of the coaching staff as the season went on, Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review suggests that it’s not a guarantee that the Penguins try to bring him back.  Harkins was claimed off waivers in training camp to add more depth up front but GM Kyle Dubas could conceivably try to bring in other players to battle for those last couple of roster spots while moving on from the ones who has those spots this season.  The 26-year-old had four assists in 45 games while averaging just over eight minutes a night of ice time.

East Notes: Devils, Rousek, Wennberg, Ponomarev

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While the season isn’t over yet for the Devils, GM Tom Fitzgerald has already identified an area outside the crease that he’d like to address for 2024-25.  In an interview with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (subscription link), Fitzgerald indicated that he’d like his team “get harder on the wing” for next season.  New Jersey has been hovering around the top ten for offense this year despite missing several key players due to injuries so it appears their preference would be to add some grit to help complement their skilled forwards.  As things stand, New Jersey has around $21MM in cap space for next season, per CapFriendly, giving Fitzgerald ample wiggle room to work with to reshape parts of his roster.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Sabres winger Lukas Rousek left today’s practice early after taking a stick to the face. Head coach Don Granato told reporters including Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News that Rousek’s status for tomorrow’s game is unknown as he was undergoing medical evaluation.  The 24-year-old has two assists in nine games so far with Buffalo after a strong showing with AHL Rochester where he notched 10 goals and 28 assists in 48 contests.
  • The Rangers announced (Twitter link) that center Alexander Wennberg was unavailable to play tonight for personal reasons. He and his wife are expecting a child in the coming days.  The 29-year-old was acquired from Seattle earlier this month and he has fared relatively well in the early going with his new team, picking up four points in nine games so far.  However, his playing time is down by nearly four minutes a night as he’s averaging 15:01 with his new team.
  • Penguins prospect Vasiliy Ponomarev suffered a lower-body injury late last week with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, relays Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 22-year-old was a key piece in the Jake Guentzel trade and was speculated to be a strong recall candidate for the stretch run.  However, Ponomarev is now listed as out week-to-week which will put those plans on hold if not squash them altogether.

Hurricanes Acquire Jake Guentzel From Penguins

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2:30 a.m.: The trade call is now complete with the Hurricanes also receiving Ty Smith as part of the trade, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirms. The Penguins will receive Bunting, forward prospects Ville Koivunen, Vasiliy Ponomarev, and Cruz Lucius, a conditional 2024 first-round pick, and a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick. If the Hurricanes don’t make the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the first-round pick downgrades to the Flyers’ 2024 second-round pick. The fifth-round pick only transfers if the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup. The Penguins are also retaining 25% of Guentzel’s $6MM cap hit. A previous report indicated that defense prospect Scott Morrow was headed to Pittsburgh in the deal; this is false.

5:26 p.m.: The Hurricanes and Penguins are close to a trade that would send star winger Jake Guentzel to Carolina, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. Forward Michael Bunting is expected as part of the return to Pittsburgh. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds that both teams being in action tonight may delay the final trade call but that “all signs point to Guentzel going to Carolina.”

This is the first major splash at this year’s deadline for Hurricanes GM Don Waddell, who’s largely held out of making big moves late in the season throughout his time at the helm in Carolina. He notably didn’t swing for a forward upgrade at last year’s trade deadline, and his Metropolitan Division-winning squad ended up bowing out to the Panthers in an Eastern Conference Final sweep. The Hurricanes have seemingly beaten out four other teams – the Canucks, Golden Knights, Panthers, and Rangers all remained in contact with Pittsburgh today – for Guentzel’s services.

Guentzel, 29, has been a first-line staple in Pittsburgh alongside Sidney Crosby since making his debut in 2016, memorably scoring on his first NHL shot. After leading Pittsburgh in playoff goals during their run to the Stanley Cup in 2017 and breaking out for a 40-goal regular season two years later, Guentzel inked a five-year, $30MM contract that will expire this summer. There was little reason to believe Guentzel wouldn’t extend in Pittsburgh after he hovered around the point-per-game mark yet again last year with 73 in 78 games, but a disappointing season for the Penguins in the standings has caused the organization to shift to retool mode.

This year, Guentzel is back above the point-per-game mark, notching 22 goals and 52 points in 50 games. He’s missed the last few weeks with an upper-body injury and, until the trade goes through, remains on the Penguins’ LTIR list. However, he’s not expected to miss much more time and skated in a full-contact jersey today for the first time since the mid-February injury. Averaging 20:53 per game, his possession metrics across the board are strong, logging a +9 rating, a career-high 56.3 CF% at even strength, and a spectacular 57.1 xGF%, per Hockey Reference.

Surely, Guentzel’s career numbers have benefitted from so much ice time with one of the best players in league history. Hurricanes number-one center Sebastian Aho may not fall into the generational category, but he’s still among the league’s elite and should form a mutually beneficial relationship with Guentzel down the stretch and into the postseason. There’s no reason to believe Guentzel won’t slot into a top-line role immediately, allowing 23-year-old Andrei Svechnikov to drop down to the second line and receive some easier 5-on-5 matchups.

That addition will cause some domino effects, although the pressing issue of an upgrade on Jack Drury or Jesperi Kotkaniemi as a second-line center remains. While depth scoring wingers like Stefan Noesen have been a revelation, posting 31 points in 60 games for the ’Canes despite logging under 12 minutes a night, he’s no Svechnikov. The 23-year-old is playing some of the best hockey of his career and is scoring at a career-best 0.93 point-per-game clip, and he and Martin Necas anchoring Carolina’s second line offers much more insulation to the overtaxed Drury as a true strong secondary scoring unit behind the Aho line. Noesen could then slot into a more comfortable fourth-line role, boosting their bottom unit alongside Kotkaniemi and Jesper Fast to be more well-rounded offensively.

While there won’t be an extension for Guentzel as part of this deal, it’s certainly possible before he reaches free agency on July 1. Bunting was signed for two more seasons with a $4.5MM cap hit, so moving him to the Penguins opens up a fair amount of cap space to devote to what could very well be a Guentzel extension that comes in north of $8MM per year. The Hurricanes will have $36.15MM in projected cap space next year after the trade, assuming no other players are coming from Pittsburgh to Carolina, with a roster size of 11. They have multiple impact players unsigned for next season, though, including Necas, Seth Jarvis, Teuvo Teräväinen, and Brett Pesce.

For the Penguins, this confirms the start of GM Kyle Dubas’ retooling to give the team a third wind in the twilight years of Crosby’s, Evgeni Malkin’s, Erik Karlsson’s, and Kris Letang’s careers. They still have an incredibly formidable core but lack much speed, depth, youth, or skill among their secondary. Guentzel’s departure tonight could signal the departure of other assets, such as winger Reilly Smith and netminder Alex Nedeljkovic, before tomorrow’s deadline.

Bunting will provide a slightly younger and cheaper option in Pittsburgh’s top six compared to Smith, Rickard Rakell, or Bryan Rust. It marks the second time Dubas has moved to acquire him – his former GM with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds was responsible for his big major-league chance by signing him in Toronto as a UFA, where he broke out as a top-line threat alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Even away from Toronto’s stars, Bunting maintained a decent level of production in Carolina, scoring 13 goals and 36 points through 60 games while averaging 15:07 per game. His possession impacts have nosedived away from Matthews and Marner, though, posting a 49.2 xGF% this year compared to his 58.2 mark throughout his two years with the Maple Leafs.

A first look at the futures the Pens acquired looks like a rocky start to the Dubas-led retool. Despite interest from multiple teams with deep prospect pools, Pittsburgh failed to secure a guaranteed first-round pick or a first-round-caliber prospect in the swap, opting for a trio of U-22 players instead.

The most notable prospect heading to the Penguins is Koivunen, who the Hurricanes selected in the mid-second round of the 2021 draft. A 20-year-old who can play both wing and center, Koivunen has dominated the Finnish Liiga in a proper breakthrough campaign this year, tied for first in points with Oulun Kärpät with 21 goals and 55 points in 57 games. He represented Finland at the 2022 and 2023 World Juniors and scored once in 12 games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves last season, his only North American professional experience. Koivunen signed his entry-level contract in August 2021, but the deal slid twice due to his European Assignment Clause kicking in for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. As such, his contract only began in earnest this season and doesn’t expire until 2026, when he’ll be an RFA.

Ponomarev, 21, is the only prospect picked up by Pittsburgh with NHL experience. Another mid-second round pick of the Canes, selected one year before Koivunen, the Russian center notched a goal and an assist in his first two NHL games earlier this season. On assignment to the AHL at the time of the deal, he’s expected to join the Penguins’ affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after spending time with both the Tuscon Roadrunners and Chicago Wolves earlier this year. A Calder Cup champion with the Wolves in 2022, Ponomarev has eight goals, 29 points, and a -17 rating in 41 minor-league games this year. He’s in the second active season of his entry-level contract and will be an RFA in the summer of 2025.

Lucius, 19, was the latter of the Canes’ two fourth-round picks in 2022 and has not yet signed his ELC. The Lawrence, Kansas, native plays right wing and is in his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin, where he’s been highly productive with 23 goals and 65 points in 66 games since 2022. He missed a solid chunk of his draft year due to injury, limiting his stock, so he does have a higher likelihood of cracking the NHL than his fourth-round billing suggests. The Penguins have until Aug. 15, 2026, to sign him to a deal before losing his exclusive signing rights.

While the Penguins may have technically added a second first-round pick in the upcoming draft, their selections are conditional. Pittsburgh could end up with no first-round selections this year if Carolina doesn’t reach the Final and their own first-round pick ends up outside of the top 10. The Pens dealt their 2024 first-rounder to the Sharks in last summer’s Erik Karlsson trade, but the pick is top-10 protected and would defer to 2025 if Pittsburgh ends up with a top-10 pick after this year’s draft lottery.

By removing Guentzel from LTIR, the Penguins now exceed the cap by $2.275MM, according to CapFriendly. They must clear space via additional trades, placing another player on LTIR, or reassigning players to the minors by 4 p.m. CT Friday.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Five Teams Remain In Talks For Jake Guentzel

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The Canucks, Golden Knights, Hurricanes, Panthers, and Rangers are the five teams remaining in the Jake Guentzel sweepstakes as a trade is “getting close,” reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Penguins GM Kyle Dubas didn’t have a deal in place for his star winger by Wednesday night as he’d hoped, but all signs point to Guentzel still changing hands before tomorrow’s trade deadline.

None of these teams come as a surprise, and various sources have bandied them about as fits for Guentzel throughout the past few weeks. The Golden Knights, Panthers and Rangers have been incredibly aggressive in advance of the deadline, collectively acquiring some of the top trade targets in Noah Hanifin (VGK), Anthony Mantha (VGK), Vladimir Tarasenko (FLA), and Alexander Wennberg (NYR) in the past 72 hours.

The veteran winger is amidst another All-Star-caliber season. While he’s been out since Valentine’s Day with an upper-body injury but is inching toward a return, practicing without a non-contact jersey today for the first time since the injury (video via team reporter Dan Potash). He scored 22 goals, 30 assists and 52 points in 50 games before getting hurt, his fourth time averaging over a point per game since 2019. He’s also logging over 20 minutes per game for the fifth straight year.

Despite the high level of production and his clutch postseason performances (58 points in 58 career playoff games), it makes little sense for the retooling Penguins to sign the 29-year-old pending UFA to a long-term extension. Multiple reports over the past week indicate that Guentzel will likely be dealt as a rental and be the top free agent on the market when the 2024-25 league year begins on July 1. His suitors probably note that Guentzel backs up his consistent production with consistent possession quality control numbers – he has a 57.1 xGF% this season and a 54.5 career xGF% throughout his 503 games as a Penguin, per Hockey Reference.

The Golden Knights, Hurricanes and Panthers could all take Guentzel’s $6MM cap hit at 50% retention without involving a third-party broker. The Rangers are a few grand short of having the necessary cap space to do so and could still make a trade work with a third party, while the Canucks have just $125K in cap space and would need to move a significant chunk of salary out to accommodate Guentzel, even at a 75% reduced $1.5MM cap hit. There have been some spotty but credible rumors of Vancouver potentially flipping Elias Lindholm, whom they just spent a first-round pick to land from the Flames in January, to create cap space for Guentzel.

Improbably, Vegas is still well-positioned to land Guentzel even after landing the top defenseman on the market in Hanifin. The team still has $3.8MM in deadline cap space with Robin Lehner and captain Mark Stone on long-term injured reserve despite having 27 players on the roster counting against the cap – their full 23-man roster plus $9.375MM taken up by Alec Martinez, Brett Howden, William Carrier, and Pavel Dorofeyev on standard injured reserve. They also still have their first-round draft picks in 2024 and 2026 and have not parted ways with top prospects Brendan Brisson, David Edstrom, and Carl Lindbom.

Pacific Notes: Canucks, Emberson, Bordeleau, Barabanov

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Pittsburgh Penguins beat writer, Josh Yohe, is reporting that although several teams remain in the mix for forward Jake Guentzel, the Vancouver Canucks have been far and away the most aggressive team. This reaffirms multiple reports over the last several days listing the Canucks as one of the top suitors for Guentzel’s services.

Yesterday there was a report from TSN’s Chris Johnston, which indicated that Vancouver was working on a potential trade that would land them Guentzel as well as shipping Elias Lindholm to the Boston Bruins. With just over 48 hours left until the trade deadline, a trade of this magnitude may have too many moving parts to be completed, but would be a fascinating shift from Vancouver after acquiring Lindholm just over a month ago.

In his own right, Guentzel does make a lot of sense for a team like the Canucks, with many of the team’s top players having minimal playoff experience throughout their careers. Playing for the Penguins over his entire career, Guentzel has been a standout playoff performer, scoring 34 goals and 58 points in 58 postseason games as well as a Stanley Cup ring in 2017.

Other Pacific notes:

    • In an announcement coming from the organization, the San Jose Sharks have placed defenseman Ty Emberson on injured reserve, and have recalled forward Thomas Bordeleau in a corresponding roster move. This will mark Emberson’s third stint on the IR this season, losing time in December and January as well. However, when healthy, he has been a solid performer in San Jose this season, scoring one goal and 10 points in 30 games played, coupled with a 91.7% save percentage in all situations as well. Bordeleau, on the other hand, has only appeared in six games for the Sharks this season, scoring one goal and one assist while averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time per night.
    • Sticking with the Sharks, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that extension talks have broken down between the team and forward Alexander Barabanov, and they are actively shopping the veteran to a Stanley Cup contender. Experiencing something of a down season due to injuries earlier in the year, Barabanov has only been able to muster 10 points in 38 games for the Sharks this season. However, Barabanov is only one year removed from a 15-goal, 47-point performance, which may entice some contenders as a secondary-scoring option down the stretch.

Updates On Jake Guentzel, Elias Lindholm

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One month ago, the Vancouver Canucks acquired forward Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames in a trade to bolster the organization’s top-six. Now, it appears that Lindholm’s days in Vancouver may be numbered, as Chris Johnston of TSN is reporting that the Canucks have spoken with the Boston Bruins about flipping Lindholm in order to acquire Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In theory, a trade could work between the three teams, but there will undoubtedly be a lot of moving parts in any trade of this magnitude. Hypothetically, the Bruins could send a package of Jake DeBrusk and John Beecher to the Penguins, with the Canucks sending Vasily Podkolzin to Pittsburgh as well.

Before this year started, the Bruins were heavily rumored to be a team looking for center help after watching Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retire in the offseason. Nevertheless, the team opted to utilize Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle as their one-two punch down the middle. Both players have handled the pressure well, with Coyle now six points away from a career-high in a single season.

It is interesting to see Lindholm’s name pop back up in trade rumors, as they surrounded him for nearly a year in Calgary. In 14 games with the Canucks since the trade in late January, Lindholm has scored two goals and six points overall coupled with a 58.1% faceoff percentage. Ultimately, the team may prefer to add more offense to their wings, instead of employing Lindholm in a third-line role down the middle.

In the hunt for their third President’s Trophy victory in franchise history, the Canucks are seemingly doing everything they can to create a Stanley Cup-caliber team. Infamously, even with the organization now being 53 years old, Vancouver has lost all three Stanley Cup Finals in team history.

Penguins Hoping To Trade Jake Guentzel By Wednesday Night

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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.

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