Penguins' Jake Guentzel Could Help New Team Win Stanley Cup
Wherever Jake Guentzel lands after the Pittsburgh Penguins, he will do a lot to help them win the Stanley Cup.
PITTSBURGH – The NHL trade deadline is just days away, and the Pittsburgh Penguins have emerged as a top team to watch. Amid a three-game skid, it’s expected that the Penguins are open for business, and numerous players are likely to finish the season with different teams.
The biggest name up for grabs from the Penguins is no doubt Jake Guentzel. He’s been at the top of most trade boards and will likely see his name called before the Friday deadline.
The most notable teams interested in Guentzel have been the Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks. One thing each of those teams have in common is they could very easily be front-runners to win the Stanley Cup.
According to Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, one team, in particular, might change their formula to take a big swing and push them over the edge as Cup favorites.
“Carolina’s history is they do not pay for rentals,” Friedman said. “Is there going to come a day where the Hurricanes say it is our time to do it? We’re going to bend our principles, and we’re going to do it. The years you bend the principles are the years you’re good enough to win.”
Guentzel has a proven history of success in the postseason, and the Hurricanes have long lacked that one piece to get them over the hump in the postseason.
“To me, if that team went out and got, say, Jake Guentzel,” Friedman said. “I think they could win the Stanley Cup.”
Friedman has said before that the Penguins are eyeing prospects over draft picks in return for Guentzel, and the Hurricanes have what it takes to afford that cost. They’ve usually hesitated to deal prospects, but they'll make the sacrifice if they’re serious about a Cup run.
“They don’t want picks for Guentzel, they want prospects,” Fridman said. “When you look at the teams with some of the best prospects, Carolina is right up there.”
The Hurricanes are looking for a Stanley Cup run, and Guentzel might be the missing piece they need.
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