NHL Rumors: Jake Guentzel Traded to Hurricanes; Penguins Receive Michael Bunting

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Jake Guentzel’s time with the Pittsburgh Penguins appears to be over.

The team is reportedly finalizing a trade that would send him to the Carolina Panthers for Michael Bunting and other assets, Greg Wyshynski of ESPN reported:

There had been multiple reports that a deal was close.

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported on Feb. 23 that Pittsburgh’s asking price for Guentzel was “multiple first-round picks (or a first-round pick and equivalent in top prospects or roster players).”

Guentzel had been included in numerous trade rumors leading up to the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline with the Penguins struggling to contend for a playoff spot. They sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division with a 24-28-8 record.

Guentzel is also on an expiring contract and will become a free agent after the 2023-24 campaign, making him expendable.

The 29-year-old had spent the first seven and a half seasons of his career with the Penguins, which selected him in the third round of the 2013 draft, and he helped the franchise capture a Stanley Cup in 2017.

Guentzel had been one of the team’s most impactful players, notching 219 goals and 247 assists for 466 points in 503 games, and the Penguins will greatly miss his production moving forward despite a lineup that includes Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

The American has notched 22 goals and 33 assists for 52 points in 50 games this season. However, he is on injured reserve and it’s unclear when he’ll suit up for his new team.

The Hurricanes have been linked to Guentzel since Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman listed the franchise as a potential suitor on Feb. 24.

Carolina has seemingly always been a step behind in the playoff race, but adding Guentzel to the lineup could help the franchise better contend for a title and make a run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Guentzel joins a talented lineup highlighted by Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Brent Burns and Martin Necas.

The Hurricanes sit second in the Metropolitan Division with a 36-19-6 record and are still in contention for the top spot in the division alongside the New York Rangers.