Pittsburgh Penguins' forward Jake Guentzel could be a perfect fit for the Colorado Avalanche.

PITTSBURGH – With the NHL trade deadline under a month away, all eyes remain on the Pittsburgh Penguins and their decision with Jake Guentzel. In the final year of his contract and with no offers on the table, there has been plenty of buzz around what the future will hold for the elite forward.

Kyle Dubas and the Penguins likely won’t have a complete decision any time soon, but that won’t stop people from drawing up hypothetical deals. To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff played a game of matchmaker with some of the NHL’s biggest trade targets.

Guentzel was on Servalli’s list of targets and matched the winger with the Colorado Avalanche. According to Seravalli, the deal would consist of Guentzel (at 50% retained) and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic heading to Colorado in exchange for first-round picks for 2024 and 2025 and a 2025 third-round pick.

A deal like this would add another huge weapon to an already strong Avalanche team and shore up their goaltending situation. As for the price of multiple first-round picks, Seravalli doesn’t believe that would be an issue for the Avalanche.

“Some people might be afraid or scared off by this price, two first-round picks,” Seravalli said. “Do you think Nathan MacKinnon cares about two first-round picks?”

The Penguins are still in the playoff race and not guaranteed to be shopping around Guentzel, but a decision will likely be made soon. On the other hand, the Avalanche are a top team in the Western Conference, just two points behind the Dallas Stars for first in the Central Division.

A return of just draft picks doesn’t match what some previous asking prices have been reported as, but it would still be enticing for the Penguins in preparation for a rebuild. If Guentzel hits the road and the return doesn’t involve an NHL-ready player, that’s a good sign the Penguins are throwing in the towel.

Teams are chomping at the bit for Dubas to float Guentzel out as a target, and the Avalanche might be right at the top of the pack.

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