(Photo : (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)) NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 16: Jake Guentzel #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his third interval objective towards the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on March 16, 2023 in New York City.
The rental-averse Carolina Hurricanes lastly made their all-in transfer on Thursday night time, buying Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In return, the Hurricanes despatched a conditional 2024 second rounder that may change into a first-rounder in the event that they advance to the Stanley Cup Final, a conditional fifth spherical decide, winger Michael Bunting, and prospects Ville Koivunen, Vasili Ponomarev, and Lucius Fox.
The Penguins additionally despatched depth defenseman Ty Smith to the Hurricanes within the deal.
The Hurricanes have been a contending drive within the NHL for a few half decade now, and the lacking piece within the postseason has all the time been an elite goal-scoring winger menace.
When Guentzel burst onto the scene, he did in order a rookie in 2017, the second yr of Pittsburgh’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
He scored 13 objectives in 25 playoff video games that yr to cement himself instantly as a Penguins hero, and he is backed that up his complete profession with 465 factors in 504 profession video games.
Still simply 29, Guentzel has a whole lot of good hockey left forward of him, however his worth is at an all-time excessive, and the Penguins are at an inflection level the place it would make sense to maneuver on from a franchise cornerstone to set the stage for the following technology.
Doing so would very a lot not go over effectively with the fan base, which expects to be in win-now mode so long as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang are in black and gold.
Guentzel has excelled this season, placing up 22 objectives and 29 assists for 51 factors in 49 video games. If he stays wholesome and stays above a point-per-game tempo, it could be the fourth such season in his profession, although simply the second the place he did not miss important time as a result of harm.
It’s extremely uncommon for offensive abilities of Guentzel’s degree to change into obtainable on the commerce deadline, and even rarer for one along with his sterling observe document of playoff success.
In 58 profession postseason video games, Guentzel has 58 factors, placing him ninth in postseason manufacturing amongst energetic gamers aged 30 or youthful.
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