Insider: Jake Guentzel Injury Doesn’t Effect Penguins Trade
Even though he's hurt the Pittsburgh Penguins can still get a big return in a Jake Guentzel trade.
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins were dealt a harsh blow when it was announced that forward Jake Guentzel would miss a month with an upper-body injury. With a placement on long-term injured reserve, the Penguins won’t have Guentzel back in the lineup until March 10 at the earliest.
That’s if Guentzel returns to the Penguins at all. Before his injury, Guentzel was one of the hottest topics on the trade market. The Penguins arguably wanted to keep Guentzel around for a push at the playoffs, but with his absence and the postseason still uncertain, they might not have a choice but to deal him before the deadline.
The NHL’s trade deadline is set for March 8, just two days before Guentzel can return to the ice. A player can be traded while on injured reserve, and since the injury likely won’t keep Guentzel out into April or later, insiders believe there is still a move to be made.
“Does it hurt his trade value?” Frank Seravalli asked on Daily Faceoff Live. “My answer to that is no… We have a large enough sample size with Jake Guentzel to know how important of a piece he is.”
A common theme is the belief that the Penguins are long shots to make the postseason without Guentzel in the lineup. With the playoffs possibly far enough out of reach, a trade involving Guentzel looks more realistic than ever.
Elliotte Friedman was asked on the 32 Thoughts Podcast if the injury complicates anything on the trade market.
“He’ll rest, and he’ll be ready to play,” Friedman said. “I don’t think this changes anything for anyone.”
Other insiders believe that since Guentzel is returning at all this year, he is still a key piece to any team looking for a playoff run.
“You have to trade for Jake Guentzel by March 8,” Craig Button said on TSN’s The Talking Point. “But you need Jake Guentzel for April 22 and the playoffs.”
Button also touched on the idea of an injury to Guentzel hampering his value on the market. Despite the injury, Button said the Penguins would still get a return that is more beneficial down the line.
“Are teams going to lower the price?” Button asked. “I think the return that they’re looking at could be something that could really help them going forward.”
The Penguins will have to make a decision quickly when it comes to the future of Guentzel. With the playoffs looking more unlikely than ever, they may not have a choice but to find a dance partner for the elite scorer and look for as big a return as possible. The core is aging, but a championship run may not be in the cards this year.
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