The Carolina Hurricanes are reportedly shopping Jake Guentzel’s rights. The team would like to re-sign him, but the feeling is the forward intends to test the free agent market. If that’s the case, Carolina would like to recoup some of what it took to acquire him at the trade deadline. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, reports are the Hurricanes are asking for as high as a second-round pick.
Guentzel is a proven, consistent scorer capable of playing either wing. He ended the season with 30 goals and 47 assists, totaling 77 points in 67 games. In the playoffs, he posted four goals and nine points in 11 games for Carolina. Over the last three seasons, he has averaged a point per game, showcasing his powerful shot, quick hands, and exceptional hockey sense.
It appears the Hurricanes and Guentzel couldn’t find common ground on a new agreement, and it sounds like he’ll test the waters and potentially go to the highest bidder.
Who Will Show the Most Interest in Guentzel?
Teams like the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks have been predicted as possible suitors, but there could be several teams who kick tires on what will be the most coveted forward free agent on the market.
The bonus in a team trading for him first is that they can offer eight years on a contract extension versus seven, thus keeping the cap hit down a little over the duration of the deal.
Ben Pope writes that Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson was asked about any potential interest in Guentzel. His response was, “You talk about and you think about everything… They just have to make sense in the grand scheme of things. If they don’t, you move past them. If they do, you consider them — and even those, they probably never happen.”
Will a team step up and trade for the forward before July 1?
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