Rangers Must Trade for Jake Guentzel to Boost Stanley Cup Hopes Amid NHL Trade Rumors

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The New York Rangers are a legitimate Stanley Cup contender this season and currently sit third in the Eastern Conference, behind only the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins.

They are also in need of right-wing help, a position the team must upgrade to see their dreams and aspirations become a reality.

The team knows this and has expressed “serious interest” in trading for Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel, Vincent Mercogliano of the Westchester Journal News reported.

The only problem? An astronomical asking price from the Penguins, who are seeking “a first-round pick and multiple young assets.” The Pens are seeking quality over quantity, but have made it clear in their dealings that they are looking to get younger amid ranking as the oldest team in the NHL this season with an average age of 30.8.

The Rangers should help them do so, especially considering what Guentzel brings to the table.

The winger can play on the right side and before an injury that landed him on the long-term injured reserve, had tallied 52 (22 goals, 30 assists) points in 50 games. Guentzel reportedly suffered a fractured finger, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, and is eligible to return two days after the March 8 trade deadline.

Assuming he is healthy and there are no long-term effects of the injury, Guentzel would likely pay immediate dividends for a team that currently ranks 10th in scoring with 3.31 goals per game.

The haul to get Guentzel will not be easy to stomach, with the Rangers likely having to give up a rostered player or prospect, and a first-round draft pick. On the heels of a trade for Seattle defenseman Alex Wennberg, the team still has “first-round picks this year and next, plus a decent crop of mid-level prospects,” according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic.

The question will be whether the team can make the deal from a financial standpoint.

Staple wrote that the team benefited from Seattle retaining some of Wennberg’s salary, and conceivably has north of $3 million in space. Guentzel’s current cap hit is for double that, meaning the team would likely have to include players in the deal to free up space or find a third partner to help facilitate the deal.

Is it a headache from that standpoint? Absolutely, but the Rangers have an opportunity to compete for a championship that they have not hoisted in 30 years.

Not making every move they possibly can to capitalize on momentum and their place near the top of the conference by bringing in a player that will not only enhance their offensive output but can force turnovers and hunt down pucks.

Guentzel is a potential difference-maker, the sort of player the most serious teams bring in to help increase the odds of a championship push.

And he should absolutely be a Ranger by the deadline Friday or the team will have missed out on an opportunity to make a statement to the rest of the NHL.