The Tampa Bay Lightning made a bold move in NHL Free Agency. They decided to let Steven Stamkos hit the open market and watched as he signed a four-year contract with the Nashville Predators. To replace his production, they swung a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes for the signing rights to Jake Guentzel. They then signed Guentzel to a seven-year contract.
The ramifications of this decision will be felt for the next few years. And depending on how the Lightning and Predators perform, the impact may be felt for quite some time. Stamkos is a legend in Tampa Bay and leads the franchise in terms of points. Furthermore, he helped them win two Stanley Cups as the captain of the franchise.
In any event, what’s done is done. Jake Guentzel is the man of the hour for the Lightning after NHL Free Agency. And with that in mind, let’s hand out grades to him and Tampa Bay for the massive seven-year contract they worked out before the market opened on July 1.
Jake Guentzel signs with Lightning
Guentzel seemed to want to work things out with the Hurricanes. However, the two sides could not come to terms on a contract that worked for both parties. As a result, the former Stanley Cup champion is heading to Tampa Bay. And in a way, Guentzel may have undersold himself a tad bit.
Guentzel spent years with the Pittsburgh Penguins playing alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. And this allowed him to emerge as one of the best wingers in the entire league. The Omaha native has scored 70+ points in each of the last three seasons. After being traded to the Hurricanes, he showed that he can drive play and generate offense without Crosby or Malkin on the ice.
Some contract projections had him receiving more than the $9 million he received from Tampa Bay. Evolving Hockey had him projected to earn $9.7 million each season on a new contract. Meanwhile, AFP Analytics had him earning $9.3 million in NHL Free Agency this year.
That said, he may have traded the extra money for more security. Guentzel has a full no-movement clause for the first four years of this contract. After that, it becomes a modified no-trade clause for the final three seasons. If this is the case, it’s an understandable trade off. And even without the extra money, this is a good contract for the former Stanley Cup champions.
Lightning sign Jake Guentzel
For the Lightning, this is a major gamble even without knowing the details of this contract. Steven Stamkos is a certified legend of Tampa Bay hockey. Bringing Guentzel in to replace him inherently puts more pressure on him to succeed. And letting Stamkos walk without kicking off a rebuild adds more pressure for Tampa Bay to find success.
Bringing Guentzel in for $9 million is good value for Tampa Bay on paper. He can drive play for his line and generate offense for his teammates. He is legitimately one of the best wingers in the league. There is concern over giving a seven-year term to a player entering his 30s. However, in the short term, the Lightning have ensured there isn’t a major hole in the lineup following the departure of Stamkos.
The Lightning understand there is a ton of risk involved here. And that risk brings their grade down a bit. But Guentzel is still a borderline elite player in the NHL. If he meshes well with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, they could form one of the best trios in the league moving forward.
Grades and final thoughts
The Lightning and Jake Guentzel earn high grades for this seven-year contract in NHL Free Agency. Guentzel is signed to a reasonable cap hit for his talent and is a great fit in Tampa Bay. The pressure is real for both sides, though. And that makes this one of the more interesting contract situations in the league at this time.
Jake Guentzel grade: A-
Tampa Bay Lightning grade: A-
