Projecting Jake Guentzel's Next Contract With the Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins need to extend Jake Guentzel before his price goes up.
Jake Guentzel already has a contract that will run him through the 2023-24 season, but the Pittsburgh Penguins need to make him a priority and sign him to an early extension.
One of Kyle Dubas’ first orders of business as the Penguins president of hockey operations should be to extend Guentzel at a reasonable price before the dollar amount increases.
Right now, Guentzel make $6 million against the salary cap and is going to get a raise no matter what, but how high does his number go?
According to projections from the Athletic, if Guentzel was to sign an extension this summer he could start making $9.2 million per year starting in 2024-25.
That kind of money would make him the highest paid player on the Penguins, but for good reason.
Guentzel is an underrated superstar in the NHL and worth every dime he earns; through his 453 game career, he has scored 197 goals and 414 points.
The Penguins will have the cap space to fit a large deal like that one their books, and if the cap goes up like it’s supposed to, it’ll be an even more impressive signing.
One thing that Penguins fans love to hang their hat on, however, is how this team has carried so many star players for so many years with team-friendly deals.
Sidney Crosby never made more than $8.7 million against the cap; Evgeni Malkin maxed out under $10 million; Kris Letang sat at $7.25 million; even Marc-Andre Fleury's biggest paychecks didn't come from the Penguins.
Fans will hope that Guentzel follows the leaders and take a small cut, but he shouldn't demand the sun and the moon.
The Penguins need to find a way to lock up Guentzel sooner rather than later; he’s coming off of a self-proclaimed ‘down year’ and will be looking to bounce back in 2023-24.
If Guentzel finds a new rhythm at the age of 29, and doesn’t have a contract signed ahead of time, there’s no telling how much he could request.
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