The Pittsburgh Penguins have offered an update on the trade deadline status of forward Jake Guentzel . Widely considered the most attractive forward option before Friday, there are rumored to be a number of teams in the mix. The Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, and others are among the teams linked in trade discussions.
That said, a trade could be coming sooner than later. As per TSN’s Darren Dreger:
Sources say the Penguins are hoping to have a trade in place for Jake Guentzel by tomorrow evening. Pittsburgh is open to quality over quantity in return, but would like a 1st, young NHL player, plus prospects. Flexibility comes in the calibre of prospect or roster player.
Chris Johnston also noted, “The expectation is that Guentzel will be dealt by the #pens as a rental. It doesn’t sound like potential acquiring teams have shown much interest in trying to work out an extension as part of the trade.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period noted on Monday, “As I mentioned a few moments ago on @NHLNetwork, the expectation out of Pittsburgh is the #LetsGoPens are planning to trade Jake Guentzel. He is the top rental F available, and if they get their price (there is plenty of interest) they’ll move him by Friday’s 3pm ET deadline.”
Guentzel Will Likely Cause a Ripple Effect on the Deadline
Once Guentzel is moved, it is likely other trades will immediately follow. Teams that miss out on the forward will move to their backup plans and the market for forward rentals will have been set. Some might argue that was already done when Elias Lindholm was traded, but the week of the trade deadline offers a bit of a different environment. Buyers and sellers know they are running out of time and deals come together quickly.
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