Possible Landing Spots for Penguins Leading Scorer
If it comes to the point the Pittsburgh Penguins need to move Jake Guentzel, these teams are among the most compatible.
Without a new contract in hand and no negotiations on the table, there are going to be plenty of trade rumors surrounding Pittsburgh Penguins’ leading scorer Jake Guentzel.
At 29-years-old, Guentzel is in the final year of his contract and leading the Penguins with 38 points (16G-22A) through 33 games of the 2023-24 season.
The Athletic recent placed Guentzel on their top trade targets list and noted the lack of negotiations as a prime reason.
With no talks and the Penguins still on the outside looking into the playoff race, it would only make sense for Guentzel to be a top target.
If things don’t improve in Pittsburgh, he’s arguably the biggest trade piece the Penguins have outside of their core group of veterans which they seem to have no plans of moving.
The Athletic went a little deeper this time and chose a couple of possible landing spots for Guentzel.
According to Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston, Guentzel would fit best with either Metropolitan Division rival New York Rangers or out west with the Edmonton Oilers.
Both the Rangers and Oilers are teams who have Stanley Cup ambitions and the talent to get them to the race, but have consistently been a letdown.
No matter what happens with Guentzel, he provides a huge punch of offense, especially during the postseason.
In 58 career playoff games, Guentzel has recorded 34 goals and is an even point-per-game.
At the moment, it’s likely Guentzel is not on the market for a trade out of Pittsburgh, the Penguins are still trying to see exactly what kind of team they have and if they’re able to make the push.
President and general manager Kyle Dubas stated he’s going to continue getting a feel for the team and should have a clearer picture by the All-Star break.
If the course isn’t righted by then, expect Guentzel’s name to be a feature of trade proposals and rumors.
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