The Tampa Bay Lightning made a big splash this offseason by trading for Jake Guentzel’s rights from the Carolina Hurricanes and signing him to a seven-year, $63 million contract that pays him $9 million per season. Guentzel could have become an unrestricted free agent, but he decided that the Lightning were the right team for him.
“They all know how to win,” Jake Guentzel said, via Jessi Pierce of NHL.com. “There’s just a winning pedigree there. [And I] still feel like we have a chance to win.”
The Lightning made the somewhat controversial decision to let veteran and fan favorite Steven Stamkos walk to the Nashville Predators in free agency. Steven Stamkos’ departure seemed inevitable with Tampa Bay adding Guentzel.
Still, the Lightning have high-quality players like Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman. There are plenty of experienced players, and Guentzel is an upgrade from Stamkos at this point of his career as well. That was needed as the Lightning have slipped down in the Eastern Conference over the past two seasons, losing to the Florida Panthers in the first round this season. Guentzel spoke about joining those players in Tampa Bay.
“There’s a lot of high-end players, elite players on the team, and just an unbelievable opportunity for me and my family to go do something else on our own,” Guentzel said, via Pierce. “It’s going to be fun for us. It’s going to be different, it’s going to be challenging, but it’s going to be something that we’re looking forward to.”
Jake Guentzel looking forward to new start with Lightning
Guentzel spent the majority of his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning a Stanley Cup with the franchise. In the past, many have questioned how much he would produce on a team that does not have Sidney Crosby, but he was very impactful in the short stint with the Hurricanes, and he is joining arguably the best facilitator of the puck in the NHL in Nikita Kucherov. It will be exciting to watch Guentzel and Kucherov play together, whether it be during five-on-five play or on the power play. Guentzel is pumped to get started.
“It’s a new team, a new division and a new opportunity,” Guentzel said, via Pierce. “Last year was a really different year for me with injury and being traded and what not, but I learned a lot, too. I think heading into this season with Tampa is going to be really exciting to see what we can manage to do together with all the high-end talent there is. … Like I said, if I just play my game and my style of hockey, hopefully it will click and we can do something really special down there.”
As far as fitting in, like Guentzel said, he is going to try to just play his style of hockey to try to help the Lightning win a Stanley Cup.
“I just want to help them try to win the Stanley Cup,” Guentzel said, via Pierce. “I think that’s always the ultimate goal. Obviously it’s the playoffs first but just kind of come in and do my thing. Play hockey and kind of have fun with it. I’m going to play with high-end players. It’s going to be challenged but that’s what makes hockey fun.”
It will be a different look for the Lightning this season, but they hope Guentzel provides a jolt that has them at the top of the Eastern Conference again.
