Penguins' Dubas: No trade talks around pending UFA Guentzel
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Pittsburgh Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas said Wednesday there have been no trade talks involving pending unrestricted free agent Jake Guentzel.
“We haven’t had any discussions with teams about Jake — anything out there is pure speculation,” Dubas said on The GM Show. “We’ll continue to go through the season here and I’ll continue to evaluate where we’re at, and either after the All-Star break or after the season we’ll do what’s best for everybody — best for the Penguins, best for Jake, and we’ll determine that together.
“That’s really it.”
Guentzel was listed at No. 13 on the latest TSN Trade Bait board. He has 19 goals and a team-leading 46 points in 42 games this season with the Penguins, who are fighting to get back into the playoffs this season after seeing their 16-year postseason streak end in 2023.
Pittsburgh enters play Thursday sitting one point back of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the final wild-card spot with one game in hand. The Washington Capitals have the same record as the Penguins, while the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils are also in the thick of the wild-card battle.
Guentzel could be one of the top names on the free agent market in July as he plays out the last of a five-year, $30 million contract.
The 29-year-old winger posted 36 goals and 73 points in 78 games last season and had a career year in 2021-22 with 40 goals and 84 points in 76 games.
Selected in the third round of the 2013 draft, Guentzel has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh, winning the Stanley Cup with the team in 2017.