The Carolina Hurricanes are expected to complete a trade for Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel on Thursday night, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Details of the trade were being finalized. A trade call with the NHL was expected after the Hurricanes’ game against the Montreal Canadiens and the Penguins’ game against the Washington Capitals, according to a source.
Guentzel, 29, is considered the top forward available ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline. He has 52 points in 50 games this season, including 22 goals. Guentzel has 466 points in 503 career games in eight seasons with the Penguins. He has been captain Sidney Crosby’s primary winger for much of that time.
Guentzel is an unrestricted free agent after the season and carries a $6 million salary cap hit. Because of his age and what he’s expected to earn in his next contract, the Penguins opted to shop Guentzel at the deadline with an eye toward an eventual rebuild for the veteran team. General manager Kyle Dubas said recently that, while Guentzel has been an integral part of the team, the Penguins “need to get younger.”
Carolina forward Michael Bunting was held out of Thursday’s game for “trade-related reasons,” according to the team. He’s expected to be part of the package going back to Pittsburgh, reuniting him with Dubas, who signed him as a free agent when both were with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Hurricanes had sought a scoring winger at the deadline. They also wanted to add an impact postseason player. Guentzel won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2017 and has earned a reputation as a clutch playoff performer, with 58 points in 58 career playoff games, including 34 goals.
