With free agency right around the corner in the NHL, one of the biggest names who was set to hit the open market was Carolina Hurricanes star forward Jake Guentzel. However, it looks like Guentzel might not hit the open market after all, as the Tampa Bay Lightning have swung a big trade with the Hurricanes to pick up Guentzel just months after Carolina acquired him at the trade deadline from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Via Frank Seravalli:
“Lightning acquire the rights to Jake Guentzel from Hurricanes in exchange for a 2025 3rd Rd Pick.”
The Hurricanes always knew this was a possibility when they picked up Guentzel from the Penguins, and with the prospect of losing him for nothing becoming a real possibility, they decided to act fast before the start of free agency. This resulted in them getting only a 2025 third round pick in return for him, but something is better than nothing in this case.
As for the Lightning, they will now turn their attention towards hammering out a long-term deal with Guentzel to prevent him from hitting the open market. They obviously have the inside track now, and chances are they wouldn't have pulled the trigger on this deal if they didn't feel confident in their ability to keep him around for at least one season. Now, all eyes will be focused fully on these two sides to see if they can find common ground and get a deal done.
Lightning shore up their offense with Jake Guentzel
Assuming Guentzel does sign a new deal with the Lightning, he will immediately shore up their offense in the future. Guentzel has turned himself into one of the most prolific goalscorers in the game, and his presence should help offset the impending departure of long-time center Steven Stamkos, which seems almost certain to happen now that this trade has gone down.
Guentzel is fresh off his third straight season of scoring at least 30 goals and tallying at least 70 points, even though he had to miss 15 games along the way. He seemed particularly rejuvenated after he was picked up by the Hurricanes at the trade deadline, as he racked up 25 points in just 17 games of action for them.
After a disappointing playoff run for the Lightning, they have been busy early on this offseason as they attempt to revamp their roster and emerge as a true title contender once again. Picking up Guentzel certainly is a big help, but there's still a lot of work to be done. This is obviously a great start to the offseason for Tampa Bay and their front office, but how they follow up this big move for Guentzel will ultimately determine how this offseason will be remembered.
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