The trade deadline in the NHL is one of the most stressful times for general managers and fans alike. Fan favorites, game-makers and locker room guys can be moved in an instant across the league and even to a different country. As a Penguins fan myself, there was one trade rumor that caused many restless moments and debates within the Pittsburgh community.

Left winger Jake Guentzel was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013 with the 77th pick of the draft. Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, Guentzel’s presence on the roster was felt from the first game he played in the NHL. In November 2016, the Penguins faced off against fellow Metropolitan Division rivals, the New York Rangers, and Guentzel scored two goals in his first two shots of his NHL debut.

Since that first game, he has yet to take his foot off the gas pedal. Being on the Penguins’ first line for the majority of his career, Guentzel has had the opportunity to learn and grow with NHL superstar center Sidney Crobsy. While on Crosby’s line and during his seven-and-a-half seasons with the Penguins, Guentzel racked up 471 points in 507 games played. He even led the team in goals for three of his seasons in the Steel City: 2018-19, 2021-22 and 2022-23. 

So how does this all relate to the Carolina Hurricanes?

While Sebastian Aho has been dubbed as Carolina’s star, I believe Guentzel could give him a run for his money, or at least be held in the same regard. Guenztel is the perfect addition to center Aho’s line since both are known scorers and have both led their teams in goals for the past few years. Despite Guentzel being three years older than Aho, both players are at the highest level of their game and can provide an offensive attack rivaled by none in the NHL. 

When not scoring goals, the left winger is known for setting up goal-scorers and racking up assists. Guentzel could be a perfect addition to Aho’s line to help set up the Fin and earn some points of his own. So far this season, Guentzel has 34 assists and is on the path to rival his season-high of 44 from 2021-22. 

Since joining the Canes on March 7, Guentzel has tallied five points in four games with his first regulation goal coming in a dominating 7-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, March 17. While also being a goal-scorer, Guentzel has some playoff experience that the Canes needed to elevate their potential postseason run. 

In his six postseason appearances, Guentzel has scored 58 points in 58 games, with 34 of those points coming from goals. The 2016-17 season was the first time Guentzel tasted postseason hockey, and he made an immediate impact in those games. With five game-winning goals through the 2017 playoffs and 13 goals, Guentzel earned his name on the Stanley Cup the Penguins won. 

During the trade deadline, multiple teams were fighting for Guentzel’s hand, and the Canes were ultimately the best team for him to go to. Carolina is set to make a deep playoff run, especially with the memory of last year’s loss in the Eastern Conference finals still in the mind of the Caniacs. 

While Penguins fans, including myself, still have a bitter taste in our mouths from losing one of our main goalscorers, no one can doubt that Guenztel will be able to elevate Carolina to the level they need to be in order to win a championship.