The Blackhawks may make some big moves this summer to push towards a playoff spot already.
The future of Jake Guentzel is very much up in the air as he may not sign with the Carolina Hurricanes and the team might trade his signing rights before free agency opens.
The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the teams most likely to land Guentzel for next season, being listed as having the second best odds as to where the Hurricanes' winger will play next season at +1250 or a 7.4% chance, per North Carolina Sports Betting.
Externally, the Blackhawks are projected to have the highest chance of bringing in Guentzel and signing him as only the Hurricanes have higher odds at -175 or 63.6% chance.
It does depend on what Guentzel is really looking for on the team he may end his career on. If he wants to win now, he will have to take less money and options are still fairly limited. The Blackhawks, even if they bring in Guentzel, are not built to win yet, but they are on their way.
Guentzel's prime is right now, but realistically it could last for another 4-5 years. That is the time I expect it to take for the Blackhawks to become real Stanley Cup contenders. With some other moves, it doesn't mean it can't happen sooner. There are some very good young players in Chicago already and outside of Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev, any others can break out at any time. Alex Vlasic already showed how well he's progressing in the NHL as a top-4 d-man.
The Blackhawks have a ton of money and a need for a top-6 player who can produce. Guentzel fits that description and when Chicago gets over the hump and into the playoffs, there will be a veteran with lots of playoff experience and success to help the younger players out.
If Guentzel is looking for more money and to max out his contract this summer, the Blackhawks should definitely be at the top of the list. Not only can he play with one of the game's next big stars in Bedard, Chicago has to bring in some money to even reach the cap floor, nevermind worry about going over the cap ceiling.
At a point, a rebuilding team does have to bring in some external help and can't rely solely on what they have built through the draft. Guentzel would be another nice addition and it would only help the team for at least 66% of his contract.
Other teams to watch for to target Guentzel are the Vancouver Canucks (5.4%), Vegas Golden Knights (5.4%), Nashville Predators (3.8%), and Detroit Red Wings (3.8%). This doesn't mean another team can't come out of nowhere as well and be a major player either. It would be big for the Blackhawks to land Guentzel, but not detrimental if they don't.
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