Jake Guentzel Traded To Carolina Hurricanes
Jake Guentzel is finally leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins. And Kyle Dubas is keeping him in the Metropolitan Division! The pending UFA is joining the Carolina Hurricanes ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline for a package that includes winger Michael Bunting. Don Waddell is finally going for it and adding a rental for a Cup push. We had to wait for hours, but the full return is finally out:
Full trade:
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 8, 2024
Pittsburgh trades Jake Guentzel (25% retained) and Ty Smith to Carolina in exchange for Michael Bunting, Ville Koivunen, Vasili Ponomarev, Cruz Lucius, Carolina’s 1st RD pick in 2024 (Conditional) and Carolina’s 5th RD pick in 2024 (Conditional).
Looks definitely like quantity over quality for Dubas here. A couple of those prospects are former second-rounders so maybe there’s a little upside in the near future. This is minor but Ty Smith is a nice little depth piece for Carolina’s blue line. Conditions on the picks are still hidden but if you equate it to a first, two seconds, a fourth and a fifth thats a lot of assets. You now gotta ask if there’s a youth development system in place that gets the most out of them. Obviously, Pittsburgh has been pushing for the present for Sidney Crosby‘s entire career. Is it a case where these pieces get flipped in the offseason or are bigger changes upon us?
A Storm Is Brewing
Fully healthy, this Canes squad will be the best it’s ever looked in the Aho era. The hockey community has always wondered when they will go and get the big fish and that time has finally come. Yes, they absolutely want Guentzel to re-sign. However, it would be a shock if an extension comes before the end of the season. The former two-time Cup winner has earned the right to test the market and find a deal that sets him and his family up. He’s been injured for a month but put up 52 points in 50 games when healthy. Those guys do not grow on trees.
Have you seen how disgusting that Top Six is now? They were already a balanced squad that gives you problems on all four lines. Now that powerplay added another weapon for a price that honestly does not kill you. Most importantly, the Canes still have their #1 prospect Alex Nikishin. That guy is a freak and is currently eating the KHL up for breakfast. The Rangers are the top dog in the Metro but there has never been a better time for Carolina to break through than right now. Obviously, the Western Conference looks like an absolute gauntlet right now (Especially Vegas after getting Hanifin!). But the East has some seriously good teams as well. The playoffs this year are gonna be electric.
Jake Guentzel’s long awaited trade is here. The Carolina Hurricanes have won the sweepstakes for the insanely talented winger.
