The Jake Guentzel trade from Pittsburgh to Carolina happened in three parts.
First was the initial deal, that saw the Penguins acquire NHL forward Michael Bunting, as well as prospect forwards Ville Koivunen, Vasili Ponomarev, Cruz Lucius, and two conditional picks.
Then, the second part, which tracked how well the Hurricanes did in their ensuing postseason run to determine those conditions. Carolina’s second round exit meant that the Penguins missed out on upgrading to a first rounder, and missed out on getting a fifth round pick altogether.
But the final stage has, at long last, officially given us the full outlook on the trade. The Penguins drafted a well regarded forward in Tanner Howe with that pick, and Guentzel is now further south in Tampa Bay. We know everything.
So the question becomes, have the optics around the Jake Guentzel trade changed?
The trade was very unpopular in Pittsburgh when it was first announced.
Maybe it was because the Penguins haven’t been in a sellers position in nearly a decade and a half. Maybe it was because credible NHL reporters had initially said that a top prospect like Scott Morrow could be in the deal, but then ended up not. Maybe it was because some hadn’t yet seen how effective Michael Bunting could be as a Penguin.
But for whatever reason (and for many, it was probably a mix of all three), a return for a perennial 30-goal scorer that didn’t include a guaranteed first round pick or a consensus top five prospect from the Canes’ system was seen as a massive loss for Kyle Dubas.
In a way, I agreed at the time. The trade was underwhelming. But I think we in this town also overpriced Guentzel’s value a little bit. He was a pending unrestricted free agent, and entering the biggest moment in his life financially. This summer would prove to be his one real chance to cash in and set up himself and his family for generations.
Signing him was no guarantee, and he wasn’t going to come cheap.
And perhaps that’s what Carolina feared when they acquired him, leading them to hang on to some of their more valuable assets. And now, their fears have been realized.
Unable to get a deal done with Guentzel, the Hurricanes were forced to trade his rights to Tampa Bay, netting a third round pick back in the deal. Regardless of if Guentzel can agree to a deal with the Lightning, he isn’t staying in Carolina long-term.
It was reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the Pat McAfee show that the Guentzel camp was asking for eight years at $8 million per. According to Friedman, that’s a contract the Hurricanes were willing to sign. But now, it looks like Guentzel backed out, and was subsequently dealt.
It’s not a great look for Guentzel if all of this turns out to be true, but that’s another topic.
Here in Pittsburgh, the trade that sent him away is now looking better and better given the results the Canes got with him. Carolina only got 28 games out of him (regular season and playoffs) and got 34 total points.
A second round trip was all the Hurricanes got in exchange for giving up five assets.
What was once seen as a massive loss for the Penguins, and a big blight on Dubas’ tenure, now is being received much more warmly.
He got a second rounder, three young forwards, and an eventually very welcome addition in Bunting. Carolina got a month and a half of one player.
Whether you were for or against the trade at the time (or even now), it’s undeniable that the deal looks better in hindsight.
A big part of the dislike was seeing Guentzel being traded to a divisional rival, and the potential for him to be there long-term didn’t help the optics of a seemingly bad trade.
Ideally, you would have wanted Guentzel to go out into the Western Conference, but even if he signs with Tampa Bay, it’s a little easier than if he was still within Pittsburgh’s division.
If he had to be traded, this is probably the best case scenario for the Penguins. Michael Bunting was terrific down the stretch for the Penguins and his style of play will fit a desperate Pens team next year as well.
Is he enough to make up for Guentzel? No, but if Bunting can replicate his success, and some of the prospects the team picked up (and Tanner Howe, the kid drafted with that second rounder netted in the deal), can pan out, things might just be alright in Pittsburgh.
(Featured photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images)
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