The Market Is Set for the Penguins to Re-Sign Jake Guentzel
The Pittsburgh Penguins should extend Jake Guentzel this summer.
It's never too early for the Pittsburgh Penguins to secure their top goal scorer over the past four seasons to a long-term extension. Fortunately, the market was set for top-line left-wingers with a knack for scoring goals earlier this week in Montreal.
Kyle Dubas and the Penguins may want to send a thank you card to Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes. Hughes and the Habs locked up franchise winger Cole Caufield this week for eight more years and $62.8 million ($7.85 AAV).
Caufield and Penguins' top goal scorer Jake Guentzel have a lot of similarities in their game. Besides their position, both lead their respective teams in goal scoring, are undersized, and play an integral role in the team's top power play.
The one glaring difference between the two is age. Caufield is 22 years old. Meanwhile, Guentzel, who has one year left on his current deal, will be 29 when his next contract takes effect. While age prevents the two from being an exact one-for-one comparison, we can still surmise what the market for Guentzel may be, based on Caufield's deal.
The Penguins will likely not want to commit to Guentzel for eight years, seeing as he would be 37 by the end of the deal. Somewhere between four and five seasons is more likely what the team will look to sign him for. Because of that, the AAV would increase and be somewhere between $8 to $8.5 million.
With the NHL salary cap reportedly heading for a spike this season or next, the Penguins would benefit from locking up Guentzel before the market shifts. Thankfully, Caufield and the Canadiens have laid the groundwork for them.
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