Penguins Lose Jake Guentzel to Injury

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins dropped an ugly contest to the Florida Panthers, but that may have been the tip of the iceberg regarding things to worry about. Penguins forward Jake Guentzel did not take a shift in the back half of the final period.

Guentzel took some bumps shortly before departing the ice and not returning in the Penguins’ 5-2 loss. Following the game, head coach Mike Sullivan stated that Guentzel was being evaluated for an upper-body injury.

“He’s being evaluated right now for an upper-body injury,” Sullivan said. “That’s all I have for you.”

Guentzel played 18:30 of ice time and was originally credited with the Penguins first goal. Well after the contest, the league switched the goal and gave credit to Bryan Rust.

Guentzel has been one of the most talked about Penguins through the 2023-24 season, primarily not for his play on the ice. With the trade deadline approaching, Guentzel has become one of the hottest names to watch on the trade market. The Penguins haven’t explicitly started shopping the forward, but that hasn’t stopped anyone from discussing his departure.

An injury to Guentzel right now would likely spell the end for the Penguins and their playoff hopes. Depending on how long the injury is, it could also mean the end of him on trade boards.

The Penguins have a quick turnaround entering the second half of a back-to-back, and the status of Guentzel could determine the outlook for the rest of the season.