Hurricanes land winger Guentzel in multiplayer commerce with Pens

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded winger Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday evening, sending probably the most distinguished ahead accessible on the NHL commerce deadline to a division rival.

The Penguins traded Guentzel and defenseman Ty Smith to Carolina for forwards Michael Bunting, Ville Koivunen, Cruz Lucius and Vasily Ponomarev, the Hurricanes’ conditional first-round decide in 2024 and conditional fifth-round decide in 2024.

Pittsburgh retained 25% of Guentzel’s $6 million wage cap hit.

“Jake is an elite aim scorer and playmaker who has produced at a excessive degree for his complete NHL profession,” Carolina common supervisor Don Waddell mentioned. “Ty is a younger, offensive-minded defenseman who will present us with one other dependable choice on the blue line. We’re thrilled to bolster our lineup as we compete to convey the Stanley Cup again to Raleigh.”

The Penguins will obtain Carolina’s first-round decide if the Hurricanes make the Stanley Cup Remaining this season. If they do not, the first-rounder turns into the Philadelphia Flyers’ second-round decide, which was beforehand acquired by the Hurricanes within the Tony DeAngelo commerce in 2022. Pittsburgh will obtain Carolina’s fifth-round decide if the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup this season.

Guentzel, 29, is taken into account the highest ahead accessible forward of Friday’s NHL commerce deadline. He has 52 factors in 50 video games this season, together with 22 targets. He hasn’t performed since Feb. 14 with an higher physique harm, however has resumed skating.

Guentzel has 466 factors in 503 profession video games throughout his eight seasons with the Penguins. He has been Sidney Crosby’s major winger for a lot of that point.

“He did all the pieces he probably may in his time right here,” mentioned Crosby, who gained a Stanley Cup with Guentzel in 2017. “Only a privilege to play with him for the course of that point. Nice reminiscences and that is all I can say.”

Guentzel is an unrestricted free agent after the season. The Hurricanes didn’t have interaction in any contract talks with him earlier than the commerce.

Due to his age and what he is anticipated to earn in his subsequent contract, the Penguins opted to buy Guentzel on the deadline with an eye fixed towards a rebuild for the veteran workforce. GM Kyle Dubas lately mentioned that whereas Guentzel has been an integral a part of the workforce, “one of many points we’ve got is we have to get youthful.”

“The commerce deadline time is at all times robust,” Crosby mentioned.

Ponomarev, 21, is a playmaking heart presently within the AHL. Koivunen, 20, is a talented offensive participant for Kärpät in Finland’s Liiga. Lucius, 19, is a scoring winger for the College of Wisconsin.

Bunting , a five-year NHL veteran, was held out of Carolina’s recreation towards the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday evening for “trade-related causes,” in keeping with the workforce. The commerce reunites him with Dubas, who signed him as a free agent when each have been with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“It is exhausting. It isn’t regular,” Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei mentioned of scratching Bunting earlier than the commerce. “You undergo it yearly, however it’s a special really feel within the locker room while you see one among your teammates miss of nowhere.”

The Hurricanes had sought a scoring winger on the deadline. In addition they wished so as to add an impression postseason participant. Guentzel gained the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2017 and has earned a status as a clutch postseason performer, with 58 factors in 58 profession playoff video games, together with 34 targets.

Data from The Related Press was used on this report.