William Nylander's Deal Makes Life Difficult for Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins may have to go big on a new deal for Jake Guentzel thanks to William Nylander.
PITTSBURGH – While the Pittsburgh Penguins are battling for a spot in the postseason, one of their best players is right around the corner from some difficult contract negotiations.
Jake Guentzel is leading the Penguins in points through the 2023-24 season but is in the final year of his deal and talks have not started on getting him re-signed in Pittsburgh. According to Guentzel’s agent, he has a good relationship with general manager Kyle Dubas but believes it’s still possible things get "ugly" between the parties.
One outside obstacle that may get in the Penguins’ way is the new contract William Nylander just penned with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The right winger/center signed the biggest contract in Maple Leafs history with an eight-year extension worth $11.5 million annually.
Before heading into this season, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see Guentzel sign a deal that earns him around $10 million, and he’s much closer to Nylander as a player than many may realize. For starters, both are in the final years of contracts that are extremely team-friendly; Guentzel sits at $6 million even while Nylander makes a hair under $7 million.
If you look at the scoring numbers, and consider the teams they play on, Guentzel edges out Nylander as a better player. Guentzel has played in 491 career games with 215 goals, 242 assists, and 457 total points; Nylander, in 558 games, has 198 goals and 286 assists for 484 points.
Nylander has more points but not by many and in 67 more games played, giving Guentzel the edge in points per game.
When it comes to playoffs, Guentzel has the clear advantage. The games played are closer than you’d think as both the Penguins and Maple Leafs have struggled in the postseason recently.
Guentzel is a clean point-per-game with 58 points in 58 postseason games; Nylander in 50 playoff games only has 40 points.
Consider also that on each of their rosters, Guentzel and Nylander are overshadowed by bigger names. Guentzel plays with future Hall of Famers like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Nylander shares a locker room with some of the best young talent in the NHL like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and he may be older but is the Leafs captain, John Tavares.
At best, they are each the fourth biggest name on their teams.
Even behind those big names, Guentzel has been selected to a pair of NHL All-Star Games, while Nylander has yet to get that call.
Guentzel is due for a big payday, whether it’s in Pittsburgh or somewhere else, but it’s not unfair to say he should earn somewhere in the neighborhood of what Nylander just signed for.
Considering Guetnzel is three years older than Nylander, the length of the deals likely won't match, but that annual price tag could be close. The salary cap is going up and the Penguins might have some room to work with if key contracts come off the books.
Negotiations won’t be easy for the Penguins, Guentzel and his camp may have gained some leverage thanks to a comparable player singing a bigger deal than anyone expected.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.
- Subscribe to Inside the Penguins on YouTube
- Follow Inside the Penguins on Twitter: @InsidePenguins