Jake Guentzel targets Penguins again with harsh comments
A new chapter may start in Tampa Bay, but there is still some anger with how things ended in Pittsburgh.
Forward Jake Guentzel was one of the most highly coveted players on the NHL free agent market, who ended up locking up a lengthy contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. After having played the first portion of his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins before being dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline, he is now getting ready for the first campaign of his seven-year deal with the Bolts. Although “this still wasn’t his preferred outcome,” per Josh Yohe of the Athletic.
When speaking with the reporter, Guentzel opened up about the past season and the stress of the trade deadline on his family. In 67 games split between the Pens and the Canes last season, he managed to put up 30 goals, 77 points, and a plus-25 rating, but the whole ordeal was tough on him. Upon explaining what happened with the Penguins and his departure, Guentzel couldn’t help but taking a shot at the team that selected 77th overall in the third round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
“Staying in Pittsburgh was always the goal,” he said. “That’s very fair to say. I told Hank at the beginning of last year, ‘Let’s get something done. This is where I want to be.’”
However, general manager Kyle Dubas never made it happened and traded him to Carolina.
“You realize that it’s a business really fast,” Guentzel said.
What GM Dubas did to him will apparently continue to haunt Guentzel, who was not the only one upset with the move. Once the trade was done and Guentzel sent to Carolina, captain Sidney Crosby voiced his frustration to media which raised a lot of eyebrows. When asked about what message Dubas and management were trying to sent to his team by trading Guentzel, Crosby answered:
“I don’t know,” Crosby said, visibly upset. “That’s probably a better question for them.”
While there is immense pressure on Guentzel to perform and rack up the points in Tampa, the winger is ready to face the music, admitting he learned a lot from his time in Pittsburgh, especially thanks to his former captain Crosby. There is no animosity towards the players when Guentzel speak about his time with the Penguins.
“Just playing with Sid, learning from him, and all the great players and great coaches that were in Pittsburgh during my time there, it’s always going to help me,” Guentzel said.
“There is a lot of pressure on me,” he added. “But that’s what makes it fun. I’m ready for this. I’ve learned a lot over the years. I learned so much in Pittsburgh.”
