Pittsburgh Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins is one of the guys to watch closely as the league gets closer to the trade deadline and the final playoff push. With him playing in his contract’s final year and scoring over 90 points per game on a club that isn’t guaranteed a playoff berth, the Penguins will have to make a difficult choice.
According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the Penguins have no reason to re-sign Guentzel after the season ends.
“It doesn’t seem reasonable to me that they would resign him. None at all,” Seravalli remarked. “Even if you believe he is a top-tier winger who can score points, why would you be signing him to a long-term contract? Would you rather sign him to a seven- or eight-year contract to play for one of the poorest teams in the league if this team misses the playoffs for the second year in a row?
Seravalli is aware of the Penguins organization’s dedication to its experienced core and their desire to provide them with as much time as possible to continue winning. With Guetnzel in the starting lineup, the Penguins have a ton of opportunities.
Entering their 41st game of the season, the Penguins find themselves in an odd situation. They have a slim chance of making the playoffs even though they are currently outside of the picture. However, things could go wrong and they end up missing for the second straight season.
“Perhaps they just need to accept it and acknowledge that Guentzel might wind up walking for nothing,” Seravalli suggested. “If they’re significantly farther away… In my opinion, you have to make the difficult choice at that very moment in order to truly kick off what will undoubtedly be a drawn-out and difficult rebuild.
The Penguins, who are still aiming for a second Stanley Cup, have not indicated that they want to give up on the 2023–24 campaign or even their future with the current roster. Guentzel can assist them in realizing that goal, but he won’t be sporting black and gold after the trade deadline if it proves to be too difficult.
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