The Pittsburgh Penguins are fighting fiercely for a playoff spot, and for their general manager Kyle Dubas, letting key players go is out of the question, even if they could hoist their sails next summer.
In addition, the case of forward Jake Guentzel continues to attract the attention of journalists in Western Pennsylvania as he is entitled to autonomy without compensation this year. In early January, the player's agent, Ben Hankinson, told The Athletic that all possibilities were possible and assured that a lot could still happen between now and the March 8 trade deadline.
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However, Dubas addressed the topic during the “GM Show” podcast and we shouldn't expect a trade with the skater who collected 19 goals and 27 assists for 46 points in 42 games in 2023-2024.
“We have not had any discussions with other teams about Jake. “So everything that’s going around is just pure speculation, it’s that simple,” said the director general. We will continue the campaign and I will continue to assess the situation. Whether it's after the All-Star break or at the end of the season, we will do what's best for the Penguins and Jake. We will decide together.”
No guarantee
As a result, the future of Güntzel, who scored 30 or more goals for a total of three years in his career, is far from set. The winger is currently expiring on a five-year, $30 million contract and will be in a good position to demand a lucrative deal no matter what his agent tells the media.
“I don’t think so, Ben Hankinson […] wanted to make so much noise, Dubas reflected. He talked more about our training and where it will take place in the next campaigns.
The Penguins are in ninth place in the National Hockey League Eastern Conference and will regain the lead with a visit to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. Her number, 59, has played his entire career in Pittsburgh since debuting on the Bettman circuit in 2016-2017.