A major trade concludes before the Eastern final
Following the Carolina Hurricanes' collapse against the New York Rangers in Game 6, the trade involving Jake Guentzel has been finalized. The disappointment must be palpable for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Hurricanes' defeat a few days ago has affected the conditions of the trade. With the elimination of Don Waddell's team, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost the potential first-round pick they had acquired in this trade. This first-round pick was conditional on the Hurricanes reaching the final four.
A natural scorer of Jake Guentzel's caliber deserves more than a second-round pick, a 40-50 point player in the NHL, and three prospects far from the A category.
Trade Completed and Final for Jake Guentzel: Penguins Ultimately Receive a 2nd Round Pick, Not a 1st Round Pick
The details of the trade were revealed in the past few hours, and for Guentzel, Pittsburgh ultimately received:
A second-round pick, three prospects, and Michael Bunting.
«Draft selection conditions update:
The 2024 second-round pick sent to Pittsburgh in the Jake Guentzel trade will not be upgraded to a 2024 first-round pick. Additionally, Carolina will retain its 2025 fifth-round pick.» - CapFriendly
Thus, they lose the fifth-round pick that had been announced in this trade. Moreover, the first-round pick was changed to a second-round pick.
The Pittsburgh Penguins must secretly hope that Michael Bunting or their prospects become stars in the Bettman circuit, otherwise this trade could come back to haunt management in a few years.
At 29, Jake Guentzel has accumulated 491 points in 520 career NHL games, including 227 goals. He is dangerously close to averaging one point per game, which is rare in the NHL.
In the 2023-2024 season, the forward scored no less than 77 points in 67 regular-season games (30 goals). In the playoffs, he was effective, recording points in 9 of the 11 playoff games.
