The Tampa Bay Lightning are pushing to sign forward Jake Guentzel before he becomes a UFA, trading a draft pick to acquire his signing rights.
Let the countdown begin.
The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired the rights to forward Jake Guentzel from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft.
Guentzel is set to become a UFA on Monday at noon ET and be free to talk to any NHL team unless he signs with the Lightning before then.
It had looked like the Hurricanes wouldn't be able to sign Guentzel before July 1, so they got an extra third-round pick to use in next year's draft or as capital in a trade.
The Lightning, meanwhile, freed more than $11 million in cap space on Saturday by trading defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club and forward Tanner Jeannot to the Los Angeles Kings. While that could've meant the team had more room to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos, the player's agent and Lightning GM Julien BriseBois said they will head to July 1 without a contract in place.
As Adam Proteau discussed on Saturday, some of the Lightning's $15.63 million in cap space could go to newly acquired pending RFA J.J. Moser. They also have 17 of 23 active roster spots currently under contract, according to PuckPedia, with Anthony Duclair also among the nine UFAs.
Guentzel would be one of Tampa Bay's top forwards if they agree on a contract. The 29-year-old spent parts of eight seasons playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins before they moved him to the Hurricanes at the trade deadline. He had 30 goals and 47 assists for 77 points in 67 games this past season, and he's averaged more than a point per game in three of the past four seasons.
In 520 career NHL games, Guentzel has 227 goals, 264 assists and 491 points. HE also has 69 games of playoff experience, winning the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2017 and recording 38 goals and 67 points in total.
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