Subscribe
Follow Us
NHL free agency kicks off next month and unsurprisingly, plenty of rumors are already swirling around. One of them revolves around Carolina Hurricanes winger Jake Guentzel, who is expected to enter the market come July. A player of Guentzel's caliber will surely have multiple suitors, but an insider may already have a clue where he'll end up. Appearing on the Jeff Marek show, Elliotte Friedman theorized how the forward is the type of player that the Chicago Blackhawks would target.
“Guentzel is a midwest guy,” Friedman said, per Bleacher Nation's Tab Bamford. “Chicago is a midwest location. (The Blackhawks) realize they have to move things forward and they have to begin surrounding (Connor) Bedard with some players. I’m going with Chicago because of the proximity to where Guentzel is from.”
Back in early March, Guentzel was traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Hurricanes in exchange for two conditional draft picks and four players. The winger saw action in a total of 17 games for Carolina, tallying 8 goals and 17 assists (25 points), as well as a positive 16 plus/minus rating.
Entering the postseason as the second-best team from the Metropolitan Division, the Hurricanes made it past the New York Islanders in five games during their first-round playoff matchup. However, they would fall to the New York Rangers in the second round.
Before Guentzel was traded to the Hurricanes, he was known as a long-time Pittsburgh Penguin. As a rookie, the winger immediately impressed, starring in Pittsburgh's 2017 Stanley Cup run. He would continue to shine for years, accumulating totals of 219 goals and 247 assists (466 points) with the Penguins.
Jake Guentzel to the Blackhawks?
Will Guentzel be suiting up for a third team? For that to happen, many factors have to fall into place perfectly. As mentioned earlier, the 29-year-old is anticipated to become a free agent come July 1. However, there's no final confirmation yet. According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, while Guentzel will most likely test the waters, he isn't ruling out a return to Carolina.
“..it very much sounds as though the most likely outcome at this stage is Guentzel going to the July 1 market while at the same time keeping Carolina as an option,” LeBrun said, per ClutchPoints' Andrew Meyers.
Assuming Guentzel eventually opts out of the Hurricanes, then the Blackhawks will be competing with multiple other teams for his services. Potential suitors for the forward include the Vegas Golden Knights and the Nashville Predators.
If Friedman's prediction somehow occurs, and Guentzel somehow ends up in Chicago, then he'll be a big addition for the Blackhawks, whose goal is to surround rookie sensation Connor Bedard with a competing roster. The Blackhawks are currently in rebuilding mode, and last season's record is a big indicator of why.
The team finished last in the Central Division, only getting a total of 23 wins. They have plenty of work to do to become a contender, and they can start by having a fruitful free agency. Who knows? Sometimes rumors do come true, and a Jake Guentzel-Connor Bedard tandem might just be headlining Chicago next season.
