Jake Guentzel Confirms in Interview That He Nearly Never Went to the Tampa Bay Lightning
Photo credit: ESPN
Lightning forward Jake Guentzel has confirmed that he never wanted to leave the Carolina Hurricanes, whom the Penguins traded him to at the 2024 Trade Deadline.
As part of the recognition by the Pittsburgh Penguins that their window had closed, they traded forward Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes at the Trade Deadline in 2024, and he helped them to a spot in the ECSF before losing to the New York Rangers.
But he wasn't able to come to terms on a new contract agreement with the Hurricanes, and he signed a 7 year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning with an AAV (average annual value) of $9 million.
He's now recently confirmed that if it were up to him, he'd have never left the Hurricanes and wanted to get a deal done with them as soon as they were eliminated by the Rangers.
It was a whirlwind kind of time, 1st time going to a different team, wasn't sure how it was going to go. I loved my time there, great team, great group of guys.
There was kind of a lot of back and forth before free agency, was hoping to get a deal done right after the season, just kind of didn't come to fruition. As time got closer to free agency, I was sitting there only 4 days away from free agency, 'Let's just wait it out and see what happens.'
Then Tampa came and traded for my rights, and I think it was a no-brainer when that happened.
There was kind of a lot of back and forth before free agency, was hoping to get a deal done right after the season, just kind of didn't come to fruition. As time got closer to free agency, I was sitting there only 4 days away from free agency, 'Let's just wait it out and see what happens.'
Then Tampa came and traded for my rights, and I think it was a no-brainer when that happened.
Guentzel and the Lightning were knocked from the playoffs by the divisional foe Florida Panthers in the ECQF, who went on to later eliminate the Hurricanes in the ECF en route to their 2nd straight Stanley Cup win.
Jake Guentzel Was Ready to Sign Long Term With the Carolina Hurricanes
Even though the Hurricanes advanced to the ECF, they may live to regret not locking up Guentzel long term.
He had a tremendously successful 1st year with the Lightning, reaching 80 points (41G, 39A) in 80 games and helping to offset the offense lost by the departure of Steven Stamkos to the Nashville Predators.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 19 | 35 ANSWERS Jake Guentzel Confirms in Interview That He Nearly Never Went to the Tampa Bay Lightning Did the Hurricanes make a mistake by not retaining Jake Guentzel? | ||
| Yes | 32 | 91.4 % |
| No | 3 | 8.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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