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Emily Kaplan, ESPNNov 16, 2023, 07:25 AM ET
CloseEmily Kaplan is ESPN’s national NHL reporter.
We’re less than two months from the NHL trade deadline and it’s definitely getting busy around the NHL. One huge — and unexpected — trade was already completed this week between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Anaheim Ducks. What else could be in the works? Here are some of the rumblings I’ve been hearing at rinks around the NHL.
ONE OF THE most intriguing storylines is what will happen to Jake Guentzel. There’s a very real chance that one of the most popular and consistently productive Pittsburgh Penguins players gets dealt, and the next few weeks are crucial. “This will get really heated down the stretch,” Guentzel’s agent, Ben Hankinson, told me last week. “It’s going to get interesting.”
Hankinson stressed that he has a good relationship with Penguins GM Kyle Dubas. They talked over the summer and understand the place each side is operating from. Ownership believes the Penguins should try to chase Cups while Sidney Crosby is still operating at an elite level — but the team, which has trended older, is on the playoff bubble yet again. The Penguins also have a depleted pool of prospects and draft picks. That puts Dubas in a precarious position.
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Guentzel, 29, is finishing up the final year of a five-year, $30 million deal. He’s likely due for a raise. Hankinson and Dubas have not had substantial talks progressing toward a new contract. Guentzel adores playing in Pittsburgh, but signing a new long-term deal might not make sense for both sides. Other teams I’ve talked to increasingly believe Guentzel will be available. The interest will be massive — and the acquisition cost could be high. Guentzel shows up when it matters most. In 58 career playoff games, the winger has 34 goals and a Stanley Cup.
One undercurrent to all of this: Crosby loves playing with Guentzel. That’s not insignificant. The captain’s voice has serious power within the…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39278034/jake-guentzel-future-cutter-gauthier-trade-hot-nhl-topics
Author : Emily Kaplan
Publish date : 2024-01-11 12:45:40
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