It looks like Guentzel is not long for Raleigh.
Although it looked earlier in the offseason like Jake Guentzel and the Carolina Hurricanes were poised for a long-term partnership, that no longer seems to be the case with just weeks to go until free agent frenzy.
In fact, the Canes are shopping the former Stanley Cup champion, according to Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman — and the price is surprising.
“It sounds like he is available for a mid-round pick,” Friedman said on the latest episode of his 32 Thoughts podcast on Friday. “I believe Carolina has let everyone know that if you want to trade for his rights for the chance to sign him that it's possible for a mid-round pick.”
If Friedman's reporting is accurate, it's almost a sure thing that Guentzel will not be re-signing in Carolina. And a couple of weeks ago, when Don Waddell was still the general manager, it looked like something was going to get done.
The team spoke highly of the player, the player reaffirmed his enjoyment of the city, and it seemed like Guentzel would be locked up in Raleigh for years to come. Instead, now concerned that they'll be unable to sign the pending unrestricted free agent, interim GM Eric Tulsky and the Canes look to be making the star forward's signing rights available on the trade market.
And a place that keeps popping up as a potential destination is the Windy City.
Could Jake Guentzel join Connor Bedard, Blackhawks?
Friedman suggested earlier this week that the Chicago Blackhawks could be a surprise suitor for Guentzel, and a line featuring both he and phenom Connor Bedard would be electric.
“Someone said to me Chicago’s starting to make noises like they’d like to move things along a little bit here,” reported Friedman. “I don't think it's impossible that Chicago is considering this.”
While the Hawks are one potential destination, there should be no shortage of suitors who will be prepared to make a deal to at least negotiate with his agent. The 30-year-old won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in his rookie season in 2017, and played his entire career with the Pens before being shipped to the Hurricanes at the 2024 trade deadline.
Guentzel was excellent on the top line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis — in the regular-season and Stanley Cup Playoffs — but the Canes suffered a disappointing six-game exit at the hands of the New York Rangers in Round 2.
The American finished with 30 goals and 77 points in just 67 games split between Pennsylvania and North Carolina — he was excellent in both states in 2023-24. And with his five-year, $30 million contract set to expire on July 1, it's looking more and more likely that the star forward will be testing the market for the first time in his career in a few weeks.
And with a raise expected — both in term and dollar value — Guentzel's agent will probably be looking to net his client upwards of $8 million AAV. That will scare a few front offices off, but not many.
Although it's still not confirmed that Guentzel will leave the Hurricanes, it's looking like one of the better forwards in the league will be up for grabs on the open market this July.
