What is the asking price for Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel, and which NHL teams remain linked to him in trade speculation?

With the March 8 NHL trade deadline a week away, Jake Guentzel has become a hot topic for media trade conjecture. While the 29-year-old winger remains sidelined by an upper-body injury until March 10, it hasn't affected his value in the trade market.

The Hockey News' Nick Horwat cited Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman listing the Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes among the clubs believed to have an interest in Guentzel.

Horwat cited Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal reporting the Canucks are still in the conversation for Guentzel. However, the return to the Penguins would be enormous.

Then there's the Carolina Hurricanes. Horwat noted Guentzel could make the Hurricanes a true Stanley Cup contender and that Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli said the scoring forward would be a good fit. However, Hurricanes GM Don Waddell recently told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun that the priority is acquiring a player with term remaining on his contract. Guentzel is due to become a UFA on July 1.

Horwat also cited Friedman and his colleague Jeff Marek, saying the Golden Knights always try to make a big splash at the trade deadline. The defending Stanley Cup champions could see Guentzel as their ticket to another Cup run.

Julian Gaudio noted that the Golden Knights are wracked by injuries and need more scoring. With captain Mark Stone likely to go on long-term injury reserve with an upper-body injury, they'd have the cap room to take on Guentzel's $6-million cap hit. They could still ask the Penguins to retain part of it but that could raise the asking price.

Ah, yes, the asking price. According to ESPN's Emily Kaplan, the Penguins seek a substantial return for Guentzel in the form of multiple first-round picks or a first-rounder and equivalent in top prospects or roster players.

Penguins GM Kyle Dubas could be flexible with that price tag as the deadline approaches and he's keen to move Guentzel by then. Nevertheless, he'll want something worthwhile that helps his club now and over the long term, and that could separate the buyers from the browsers.