Latest Pens Buzz: Regret inside organization of undervaluing Jake Guentzel?

Jake Guentzel has, as expected, been a great fit in Tampa Bay.

Entering tonight vs the Penguins, Guentzel has 34 goals and 33 Assists for 67Pts in 69 Games Played as the former Penguin is in play for a 40-goal, 80-point season.

Guentzel has been lethal on the power play with 15 power play goals and 5 vs 5, a team-best 62 Goals For%.

A discussion around Jake Guentzel is ‘Rebuild/Retool’, whatever you want to call it, was it the right call by Kyle Dubas not to prioritize keeping a homegrown star and talent like Guentzel?

Here are some tidbits on the situation:

Guentzel bought a $2 million dollar house in 2022 to lay down long-term roots in Pittsburgh and had all expectations of resigning with the Penguins. That was also the plan of the Ron Hextall/Brian Burke regime who planned a short and quick negotiation on an 8-year extension in the $66-$70 million range, per two sources close to the situation. A General Manager change, though, in April 2023 saw those prospects greatly diminished. Kyle Dubas never looked at Guentzel as a true star worth keeping with the Penguins likely headed towards some tough years and a constant message to the agent To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

Still, there’s arguments here on both sides.

Trading Guentzel was always the ideal route if you were committed to tearing things down to the studs and fully committed to some dark years. The Penguins are not. A year after the Guentzel trade, here Dubas was at the podium on deadline day just over two weeks ago talking about “urgency” to give Sidney Crosby and the core one last chance to compete before it’s too late. Trying to replace a 40 goal, 80-point player with quality over quantity long-term was certainly a choice. Even some of Kyle Dubas’ biggest supporters in the organization feel it was a mistake not to buy into Guentzel as part of the core and the team should have looked at him as a building block to stay more competitive now in the final Sidney Crosby years and as a critical piece going forward as the team eyes transitioning to being younger. At the end of the day, the Penguins just flatly underestimated how good of a player Guentzel was until he was out of there. And if you want to sign a Jake Guentzel caliber of player in free agency moving forward, it’s going to cost you a lot more than $8.5-$9 Million per it would have cost last season. If you want to be in the ballgame to sign for example Brock Boeser, a much lesser player who the Penguins have To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

That’s where the market is now headed in this rising cap world and the risk the Penguins took in trying to toe that line of a quick retool. If you truly believe the Penguins owed it to Sidney Crosby to do everything they can to to compete again before Crosby retires, it’s hard to support the Jake Guentzel trade. Hence, should have paid him the $9 million, made him a priority and cut elsewhere.

The other side of the argument for those buying into the rebuild/retool, is the Jake Guentzel Trade Tree is growing and a couple years from now, will the Penguins have accomplished their goal of adding multiple NHLers long-term and maybe even a top pairing defenseman?……….

Jake Guentzel Trade Tree	Rostered NHL Players	Prospects	Draft Picks
Jake Guentzel to Carolina……	Tommy Novak	Ville Koivunen	2026 2nd Rd Pick
Michael Bunting to NSH…..		Vasily Ponomarev	2027 4th Round Pick
Luke Schenn to WPG……..		Harrison Brunicke
…………………		Cruz Lucius

The Jake Guentzel Trade Tree has blossomed to seven assets and growing. Let’s Dive In:

Prospects Return

Highest Upside Prospects: Defenseman Harrison Brunicke, Winger Ville Koivunen

Buzz: Both are on the fast track to the NHL and good arguments the highest ceilings of any prospects in the Penguins system. Of the two, the edge for the biggest potential goes to [hide] Brunicke. Scouts love Brunicke’s upside who has all the intangibles of a player who should have been a first-round pick prospect, instead of falling to #46. The 18-year-old is a smooth skating breakout machine who sees the ice at an elite level, but it’s the maturation in the defensive zone where he projects to be a regular by the 2026-2027 season. Koivunen whom the Penguins regarded as the key prospect in the Guentzel return, has even exceeded expectations in his first full season in North America. 54 Points in 61 points, Koivunen has the combination of playmaking ability, 1-on-1 offense and hockey IQ where his potential screams Top-9 forward at the next level. [/hide]

Others: Vasily Ponomarev, Cruz Lucius: Ponomarev, 23, should see time next season between the NHL and AHL next, though, his ceiling is much lower than Koivunen’s. We’re looking at potentially best-case scenario a useful 4th liner and nothing more. The 23-year-old has 35 points in 49 games with Wilkes Barre. Lucius, 20, was the Hurricanes 4th round pick in 2022. From NHL prospects, Cruz is a lower tier-mid tier level prospect depending on who you talk too. The Penguins, though, really like the skill set and felt he was more than a thrown-in and feel To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

NHL Return from Guentzel Trade Tree

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