Top Trade Partner Emerging for Penguins’ Jake Guentzel
If Jake Guentzel is hitting the road, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a team taking over as a leader of the race.
PITTSBURGH – With each passing day, it seems more and more likely that the Pittsburgh Penguins are preparing to deal Jake Guentzel before the NHL trade deadline. Guentzel will be out of the lineup until at least two days after the deadline, but that likely won’t negatively impact an asking price.
With Guentzel likely hitting the road, what team is the best destination for one of the Penguins’ best goal-scorers? Elliotte Friedman noted that the Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, and likely far more teams have expressed interest.
Another team that Friedman listed was the Carolina Hurricanes, and according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, they seem like the best fit.
“Just from a pure fit perspective, to me, it’s the Carolina Hurricanes,” Seravalli said. “What have we talked about the last number of years? They’re missing the true difference-maker.”
What Guentzel could bring to the Hurricanes would absolutely make him a difference-maker. He’s a multi-time 40-goal scorer and has a noted playoff pedigree. In 58 career playoff games, he sits with 58 total points (34G-24A). The Hurricanes have been a great team, but constantly missing that last punch to push them over the edge.
Guentzel could make the Hurricanes a true Stanley Cup contender, not just a team that will reach the postseason but quickly fizzle out.
“Why can’t what Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby are together,” Seravalli asks. “Why can’t that be Guentzel and Sebastian Aho?”
The Penguins are reportedly looking for a massive return for Guentzel, and the Hurricanes have what it takes to pull that kind of trade off. If the Hurricanes are expressing interest, they sit in the driver’s seat.
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