The Pittsburgh Penguins are fighting for their postseason lives in an ultra-competitive Metropolitan Division in 2023-24, and the front office will soon have a huge decision to make on superstar forward Jake Guentzel.
The 29-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and with the Pens a toss-up to advance to the playoffs, a decision could be made on his future sooner rather than later.
Still, Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas made it clear that no trade chatter has developed for the veteran forward as of yet.
“We haven’t had any discussions with teams about Jake,” Dubas explained on Thursday, according to The Hockey News' Nick Horwat. “So, anything out there is pure speculation. It’s really as simple as that. We’ll continue to go through the season here and I’ll continue to evaluate where we’re at. Either after the All-Star break or after the season we’ll do what’s best for everybody. Best for the Penguins, best for Jake.”
For now, Dubas will keep working on signing UFA Guentzel to an extension, although it would make sense for him to get dealt if the Penguins fall out of postseason contention over the next couple of weeks.
Jake Guentzel could be a top trade chip
The Athletic's Chris Johnston slotted Guentzel in at No. 10 on his latest NHL trade board. Here's what the hockey insider had to say about the former Sioux City Muskateer:
“No progress has been made toward an extension for the pending unrestricted free agent, and it’s difficult to imagine Pittsburgh walking him right to the open market in a year when it appears qualifying for the playoffs is going to be difficult. That makes Guentzel potentially a major chip for Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas to play. He’s an undersized winger who performs much bigger than his stature, especially when the stakes are highest. He has an eye-popping 34 goals in 58 career playoff games.
“After having right ankle surgery in August, Guentzel has seen no decline in his production and finds himself on pace for 37 goals and 90 points through Wednesday, while playing almost exclusively alongside Sidney Crosby. There is nothing imminent here. Dubas wants to give his team more time to get back into the playoff race before making significant roster decisions. But if the Penguins are unable to do that, Dubas will have multiple suitors for Guentzel.”
Despite the rumors, the Penguins are just one point out of a playoff spot and could quickly find themselves among the top clubs in the Eastern Conference if they can string some wins together early in 2024.
It'll be intriguing to see how the trajectory of the second half goes in Pennsylvania, and what Jake Guentzel's future holds in the only NHL city he's ever known.
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