LATEST | The five frontrunners to acquire Jake Guentzel have been identified: Bad news for the Canucks

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Felip Gosselin
March 6, 2024 (7:54 PM)

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There's an elevated number of talks lately regarding the trade market's top player, Jake Guentzel. The Penguins have now made it clear that he would be traded and cup contenders are all over the case.

An update just surfaced highlighting the five team's that were still in the running to acquire the two-time Stanley Cup champion. The most recent report suggests that the Hurricanes, the Panthers, the Rangers, the Canucks and the Golden Knights were still in the mix.

The Panthers acquire Vladimir Tarasenko earlier today, the Golden Knights already added Anthony Mantha and Noah Hanifin, but they still have room under their $100M salary cap:

Guentzel update: Not definitive, but sounds like teams in mix are CAR, FLA, NYR, VAN and VGK.

Unless something changes, belief is FLA + VAN have made strong push but don't have goods to pull it off.

Of note: VGK could potentially create more cap room if Martinez goes on LTIR.

Elliotte Friedman added his bit on the subject later on. Through his beliefs, the Canes were viewed as the leader, but Guentzel's reticence for signing an extension is keeping them from making the full commitment.

The Canucks on their end, had made it clear they wouldn't be moving any of their top three prospects and it might be what's pushing them out of the race:

"I think Canes have what Pens want, the young prospects they got...Canes don't really do rentals but I get the sense Canes are willing to bend in this case."

"Canucks don't believe they're going to get him."

Mentions Rangers as possibility as well.

On the other hand, Josh Yohe, Pittsburgh Hockey Insider who's been known to work with Jim Rutherford in the past, released an interesting piece in this on going derby. Some accused Rutherford of using the reporter as a way to negotiate with Dubas:

From what I've been told tonight, Jake Guentzel isn't going to Vancouver unless Kyle Dubas' asking price goes down. The Canucks would love to land him. But Dubas is asking for a price that they aren't currently willing to pay.

Gonna be interesting.

The deadline is set for March 8th at 12:00, the question to every answer will be in by then.