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It’s been a series of moving parts but Jake Guentzel has officially signed with the Lightning. At the end of the day, Tampa Bay secures his services for a third round pick (that heads to Carolina). Guentzel will then sign a contract with Tampa for seven years at an AAV of $9 million. Keep in mind, Florida is a no state tax team so Guentzel will keep all of his earnings with this new contract that he’s signing in Tampa.
Elliotte Friedman at Sportsnet was the first to report the news:
Guentzel, 30 in October, notched 30 goals and 47 assists a season ago. He actually led Carolina in points after the Hurricanes acquired him at the deadline. He now joins a top line in Tampa of Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. An absolutely filthy top line. Playing with those two had to be super intriguing for the Nebraska native.
The underlying metrics are obviously strong here. Playing with Kucherov might even take his game to another level. He’s never been a strong defender but he also won’t be the focal point on this team. Point and Stamkos already command so much attention from the opposition. Guentzel’s life should be much easier than ever before.
The biggest question now remains. Does Tampa Bay still have room to keep Steven Stamkos? If so, they’re dangerous after this addition. If not, did they really improve? It’s a fair question to ask if the captain really walks out the door.
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