Speculation arose over the weekend about whether the Vancouver Canucks should trade for Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel. How likely would a move like that be?
Jake Guentzel and Conor GarlandPittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas last week dismissed trade rumors swirling about Jake Guentzel. He claimed he hadn't spoken with any clubs about the 29-year-old winger, who is slated to become a UFA on July 1 unless he and Dubas agree to a contract extension.
That hasn't prevented some pundits from talking about potential trade destinations for Guentzel if Dubas peddles him by the March 8 trade deadline.
On Thursday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman suggested Guentzel could become a trade target for the Vancouver Canucks. Currently jockeying for first place in the overall standings, the Canucks are said to be in the market for a top-six forward.
Friedman noted that Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford knows Guentzel well from his days as Penguins GM. So does Canucks coach Rick Tocchet, who was an assistant coach in Pittsburgh.
On Saturday, Friedman once again mentioned Guentzel among four or five players that could be in the Canucks' sights. That list also included Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm, who is also due to become a UFA on July 1.
It's unlikely Guentzel and Lindholm are available while their respective clubs remain in the hunt for wild-card berths. However, that could change if they should lose ground in the standings over the next three or four weeks.
Guentzel has a $6-million salary cap hit along with a 12-team no-trade list, according to PuckPedia. Assuming the Canucks aren't on that list, they could have a difficult time acquiring him if he ends up on the trade block.
With $1.2 million in cap space, the Canucks must shed salary to take on Guentzel. Perhaps they'll offer up struggling winger Andrei Kuzmenko and his $5.5-million cap hit through 2024-25, assuming the Penguins aren't on his 12-team no-trade list.
Dubas could prefer futures in the deal to restock the Penguins' depleted prospect pipeline. That could cost the Canucks a first-round pick or perhaps promising winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki, who was named tournament MVP at the 2024 world juniors.
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