The Pittsburgh Penguins may be two games over .500, but they are not in a good spot in the Eastern Conference standings. In a tough conference, the team sits in 13th with five teams in between them and the playoffs. A lot hasn’t clicked this season for what many expected to be a team that could compete a couple more times.
As the veteran core doesn’t have many years left, it begs the question what will happen in the immediate future for the Penguins. Jake Guentzel and the Penguins haven’t engaged in any significant contract extension talks according to The Athletic. Guentzel is a UFA after the season with a cap hit of $6 million AAV. He has been a great winger for Sidney Crosby for a number of years, but is going to get paid after this season.
The Athletic also noted that the Penguins would likely land a first round pick and a very good prospect in a trade for Guentzel. Since the Penguins are outside of the playoffs and it will be tough for them to climb back into a spot, selling some players who might not re-sign is a conversation that has to be had. If it comes to that, I’ve identified three teams that could use Guentzel’s services and who the Penguins would get in return.
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders have lost once in regulation in the past 10 games and sit second in their division. It is going to be a tight race to get into the playoffs and a tough battle to make a deep run, so the Islanders have to address the areas they’re lacking. This is an old team that has had to rely on some younger players to fill in, whether that be because of injuries or underperforming. The Islanders may need help on defense right now, but when healthy, the team is very strong on the back-end. What this team will be looking to upgrade is the wing. This is where Guentzel comes in.
Last season the Islanders made a big and early move to acquire Bo Horvat. It has worked out for them this season. In order to get better up front and give themselves a window to win, they may very well try to acquire and sign Guentzel like the team did with Horvat. This would make them real contenders. In order to acquire him, they have their 2024 first round pick for starters. As for a very good prospect, the best that the Islanders can offer the Penguins would be William Dufour or Samuel Bolduc.
Dufour is 21 years old and has put up impressive numbers in the AHL. He is one of the most ready prospects in the Islanders’ system, so he would help the Penguins almost immediately. Bolduc is part of a locked-in defensive group and would very likely be limited in minutes for a number of years. With a veteran defensive group on the Penguins that isn’t locked in for a long time, he will have a chance. Bolduc is also NHL-ready as he’s playing on the Islanders this season.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are once again showing that they are an elite team despite the huge losses to their lineup this past offseason. They have managed so far, but the question is for how long can they sustain the success the team is having with a weaker lineup? The Bruins upgraded everywhere they could at the trade deadline last season, and while they are still very competitive, I expect that to be the strategy again. If Guentzel is available, his cap hit is doable for the Bruins, but will cost them.
Related: Maple Leafs Connected to 3 Veteran Forwards
The Bruins used their 2024 first round pick to acquire Tyler Bertuzzi last season and he was arguably their best forward in the playoffs. While it would be a year pushed back, they still have their 2025 first round pick to use. I think that should be good enough. I can’t see the Bruins wanting to part with Mason Lohrei or Matthew Poitras as both have proven they can be a big part of the future. So the Bruins will push for a deal with another top prospect. Fabian Lysell is thought of as the team’s top prospect and he’s a winger. This would be the most logical move to make for both teams if a deal is struck.
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche won’t go away anytime soon, not with the juggernaut of a team they have. But with injuries, the depth has been tested again. If this happens in the postseason, the Avalanche will have the same problem as they did last season and have to deal with the exact thing they tried to avoid again. There’s no guarantee Gabriel Landeskog will be back for the playoffs, so there is a hole on the left side. three of the four top-six wingers, if healthy, will be Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, and Mikko Rantanen. Neither Jonathan Drouin or Miles Wood should be higher than a third line role on a Stanley Cup contender. Guentzel would fit in very well and make this team a lot better.
In order to acquire him, the Avalanche will have to dip into a weaker prospect pool and give the Penguins what they want. There aren’t any standout prospects that I would say are untouchable and will help the Avalanche right now. Colorado still owns their first round pick in 2024 and the Penguins should have their choice of top prospects in Calum Ritchie, Mikhail Gulyayev, Nikolai Kovalenko, Sean Behrens, and Oskar Olausson.
Ritchie and Gulyayev were both drafted at the end of the first round in 2023. Ritchie is a center and Gulyayev is a defenseman. The Penguins could have their pick, but may want someone more NHL-ready. This is where Kovalenko and Behrens come in. Kovalenko put up nearly a point-per-game last season in the KHL on the wing and should be ready to come to the NHL next season. Behrens is playing in college for likely his final year. As a stay-at-home defenseman, this projected top-four defender may also be able to jump right into the NHL. As for Olausson, he has a great shot and raw talent, so he could be a wildcard.
Penguins Will Find the Right Deal
The Penguins will have lots of options in teams and prospects to choose from in order to recoup fairly quickly if Guentzel is bound to end up somewhere else. I assume the team wants him to stick around because he gives the Penguins the best chance to win now, but he will also likely find himself on a rebuilding team for most of his next contract of he does.
