January 7, 2024 | 9:00am ET
TheFourthPeriod.com
GUENTZEL, PENGUINS SITUATION COULD GET “UGLY”
Jake Guentzel, forward
The Pittsburgh Penguins are going to have to make a big decision as it relates to star forward Jake Guentzel’s immediate and perhaps long-term future with the organization.
On Friday on NHL Network, TFP’s David Pagnotta reported Guentzel is unlikely to sign an extension with the Penguins during the season and contract talks are expected to be pushed until after the season comes to an end.
“My understanding is that Guentzel is comfortable waiting this out,” Pagnotta said on NHL Tonight. “He wants to understand and have a clearer picture as to what the future, both short- and long-term, of the Pittsburgh Penguins is going to be if he does sign a long-term extension with the club, be it a six-, seven-, eight-year deal.”
Guentzel, 29, is in the final year of a five-year, $30 million contract and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
With the Penguins in the thick of a playoff race and their long-term future in question, Guentzel seems to want to wait to have a better understanding of the club’s direction before committing to a new contract, which certainly comes with risks for the Penguins – if they drop out of the playoff race or are not comfortable with the idea of re-signing him, they could consider moving him prior to the March 8 trade deadline.
During Saturday’s “The Hot Stove” show on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio with Pagnotta, Dennis Bernstein and Ryan Paton, Guentzel’s agent Ben Hankinson discussed his client’s current situation and addressed how things could play out.
“He’s on the last year of a deal. The good news is I have a really good relationship with (Penguins GM) Kyle Dubas. Jake Guentzel is in a great spot. He started his career there,” Hankinson said. “It’s no secret the team is getting older. There are some Hall of Fame players on that team. What’s going to happen, I don’t know. But I’m going to lean on conversations I’ve already had with Kyle, including in the summer, including conversations with Jake.
“I think the good thing is we’ll all be on the same page. Could it get ugly? Yes, it could. Kyle has to make decisions, too, which way the team is going and the investment he’s going to make with Jake. Is it the same direction? It’s going to come down to how they play and we’ll put our heads together. And like we talked about a couple of minutes ago, all the things that go into trade deadlines, (Kyle) might look into what he can get for Jake or what it costs to sign him. There’s a lot that will happen in two months, and I don’t know the answers to that. But I do know Jake loves Pittsburgh. He’s a hockey player. He’s had some good success and fun in that city. We’ll see.”
As noted, if the Penguins remain in the thick of the wildcard race or one of the three seeds in the Metropolitan Division, Dubas could hold on to Guentzel and roll the dice on trying to sign him before July 1. Alternatively, as Pagnotta noted Friday on NHL Network, the Penguins could present Guentzel with a giant offer that might be too good to pass up. But barring that scenario playing out, Guentzel seems set on waiting until after the season wraps up before addressing his contractual status.