LATEST | The Jake Guentzel derby now down to six teams: Two high-end cup contenders among them

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Cooper Godin
March 4, 2024 (12:43)

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Earlier on Monday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Vancouver Canucks' priority this week leading up to the trade deadline on Friday is adding another forward.

Fast forward a few hours and TSN's Pierre LeBrun has confirmed that the Vancouver Canucks, along with the Vegas Golden Knights, are among six teams in the mix for the biggest name on the market - Jake Guentzel.

"The sense is the Penguins after that road trip have a very clear sense of what needs to be done before Friday's deadline. And charting a course accordingly. Exploring all options with view to bolster the club for the future. Hearing there's 6-plus legit suitors for Guentzel, VGK and VAN among them." LeBrun said.

The Penguins have fallen well out of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference following a 6 to 1 loss at the hands of Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. With the loss, the Penguins dropped to seventh in the Metropolitan Division and sit nine points back of the Philadelphia Flyers for third place. With how they're playing and the position they're in, the Penguins are on the verge of missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive season, which would mark the first time that's happened in the Sidney Crosby era.

As for Jake Guentzel, he's having yet another strong season and has hit the 20-goal mark for the seventh consecutive season. In 50 games this season, the Omaha native has 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists), 14 penalty minutes and is a plus-nine.

Another wrinkle to a Jake Guentzel trade is that the Pittsburgh Penguins are reportedly seeking prospects that are close to NHL-ready, rather than draft picks in return as they would like to turn things quickly. With the Vancouver Canucks calling up and putting Vasily Podkolzin in the lineup on Sunday night against Anaheim, many are wondering if they are showcasing him ahead of a potential trade.

It'll be interesting to see where Jake Guentzel ends up after the trade deadline as it seems inevitable that the Penguins will trade him at some point this week.

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