The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded star winger Jake Guentzel and defenseman Ty Smith to the Carolina Hurricanes in a massive blockbuster deal. In the trade, the Penguins acquired forwards Michael Bunting, Ville Koivunen, Vasily Ponomarev, Cruz Lucius, a conditional 2024 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick.
The Hurricanes will send a 2024 first-round pick to the Penguins if Carolina makes it to the Stanley Cup Final. It will become a 2024 second-round pick if the Hurricanes don’t reach the Stanley Cup Final. The Penguins will receive an additional 2024 fifth-round pick if Carolina wins the Stanley Cup.
The Penguins will retain 25% of Guentzel’s salary.
Guentzel had spent his entire eight-year career with the Penguins after the franchise selected him with a third-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. He is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The Penguins forward has registered 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 50 games this season. Guentzel has been out of the lineup since Feb. 14 with an upper-body injury but recently begun practicing with Pittsburgh prior to the trade.
Guentzel has tallied 219 goals and 247 assists during his professional career thus far. His best season came in 2021-22, when he registered 84 points (40 goals, 44 assists). Guentzel has scored at least 20 goals in all but one season in his career.
The Penguins were aiming to make a Stanley Cup run this season. After all, the team traded for reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson last August to help bolster their blue line, but have struggled at times this season.
Pittsburgh currently sits eight points outside of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, so the Penguins decided to begin building toward their future by shipping Guentzel out of town.
In a surprising move, the Pittsburgh Penguins have traded star forward Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes in a blockbuster deal that has sent shockwaves through the NHL.
Guentzel, who has been a key player for the Penguins for the past several seasons, was traded to the Hurricanes in exchange for a package of players and draft picks. The move comes as a bit of a surprise, as Guentzel has been a fan favorite in Pittsburgh and has been a consistent scorer for the team.
The Hurricanes, on the other hand, are looking to bolster their offense and add some scoring punch to their lineup. Guentzel, who has proven himself to be a dynamic goal scorer and playmaker, should provide an immediate boost to the Hurricanes’ offense and make them a more dangerous team to face.
In return, the Penguins will receive a package of players and draft picks that will help them build for the future. While losing Guentzel is certainly a blow to the team, the Penguins are hoping that the players and picks they receive in return will help them remain competitive in the tough Metropolitan Division.
Overall, this trade is sure to shake up the NHL landscape and will be one to watch as the season progresses. Fans of both teams will be eagerly watching to see how Guentzel performs with his new team and how the Penguins fare without him. Only time will tell if this blockbuster deal pays off for both sides.
