PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Various reports the Pens have traded Jake Guentzel to Carolina, although it appears it won’t be announced until later tonight as both teams are involved in games.
The return is also in question with the NHL return to be Michael Bunting. He is a year older than Guentzel, 28, and a left-handed shot. In 60 games this season, 13 goals and 23 assists and a plus/minus of minus 15 on a very successful team. Bunting had consecutive 23-goal seasons back-to-back in 2021-22, 2022-23 with Toronto. There will be minor-league players involved, but don’t have details yet.
Guentzel burst into the NHL as 22-year-old played half of his rookie season with 16 goals and 17 assists in 40 games. It was impressive. But his run in the 25 games of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2016 made him a rookie legend in Pittsburgh. Along with the 13 goals, 11 of them even strength, were FIVE game-winning goals, even a short-handed tally to go with a power play goal.
The last time the Pens won a series in the postseason, Guentzel had a big part in that as well. In the 12 games played, 10 goals and 11 assists with a pair of game-winning goals. In 58 playoff games, 34 goals for the Omaha native, that is second to only Mario Lemieux in postseason goals-per-game.
Listed at 5’11”, 180 pounds, Guentzel has always played bigger than his size. Out with an upper-body injury over the last 10 games, Guentzel still had 52 points (22 goals) and was a plus in plus/minus for the sixth consecutive season. Guentzel has at least 20 goals in every season since his rookie year. He had 20 goals in 2019-20 in just 39 games.
In nearly eight seasons with the Pens, 219 goals (8th in Penguins history), 247 assists (16th in Penguins history) adding up to 466 points (11th in Penguins history) 31 game winning goals (7th in Penguins history) and a plus 53.
His father a hockey coach, Guentzel laid his own path that will continue now reportedly with division-foe Carolina while the Penguins try to figure out what their future holds.