The New York Rangers made their intentions clear at the 2024 Trade Deadline as they made several moves to fill some holes in their roster and give them the best shot at making a deep run into the postseason.
They brought in Alex Wennberg, Jack Roslovic, Chad Ruhwedel, and made a minor player swap with the Minnesota Wild involving Turner Elson for Nic Petan. They didn’t pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade, nor did they focus on acquiring superstars like last season when they brought in Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko, but they are still positioned well for a deep playoff run. There was an opportunity for the Rangers to bring in forward Jake Guentzel, but they backed out due to the asking price.
Related: New York Rangers Roundtable: Trade Deadline Reaction
Elliotte Friedman, on his recent 32 Thoughts podcast, mentioned that the Rangers prioritized their future instead of making a move for Guentzel. He mentioned Brennan Othmann and Gabriel Perreault as players the Penguins were interested in, but the Rangers refused to part with either of their top prospects. Guentzel was eventually traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for a much smaller package than many people expected, but the Rangers played it well and were able to keep their prospect pool strong.
The deal with the Hurricanes was still massive as the Hurricanes acquired Guentzel and Ty Smith in exchange for Michael Bunting, Vasily Ponomarev, Ville Koivunen, the rights to forward Cruz Lucius, a conditional 2024 first-round pick, and a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick. The first-round selection will become a second-round pick if the Hurricanes do not advance to the Stanley Cup Final, and the Penguins won’t receive the fifth-round pick unless the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup.
While the Rangers surely could have outbid the Hurricanes for Guentzel, it didn’t make sense for them to pull the trigger and give up two players who could be massive parts of their future, on top of other valuable draft picks. It would have been nice to bring Guentzel, even if only as a rental, but it’s probably smart that they held off. It’s likely a bit painful for them that a Metropolitan Division rival brought him in instead, but the Rangers still have a strong enough team and should still be able to beat them in the postseason.
Guentzel’s Career & What Could a Trade Have Looked Like?
Guentzel is a 29-year-old left-shot forward from Omaha, Nebraska who stands 5-foot-11, 181 pounds. He was drafted in the third round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by the Penguins at 77th overall after a really strong showing in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Sioux City Musketeers where he scored 29 goals and added 44 assists for 73 points through 60 games. After being drafted, Guentzel joined the NCAA playing with the University of Nebraska-Omaha where over three seasons, he scored 40 goals and added 79 assists for 119 points through 108 games which comes out to a 1.10 points-per-game average.
Guentzel made the full-time jump to the NHL in the 2017-18 season where he scored 22 goals and added 26 assists for 48 points through 82 games. Over 503-career NHL games, he has scored 219 goals and added 247 assists for 466 points which comes out to a 0.93 points-per-game average. He established himself as an elite two-way forward during his time with the Penguins, and he will surely bring the same value to the Hurricanes down the stretch.
The Hurricanes got Guentzel with 25% retained by the Penguins, dropping his cap hit to $4.5 million. If the Rangers wanted to make a deal work, they likely would have had to part with Kaapo Kakko or Barclay Goodrow, if not both, to make a deal work. Realistically, the Penguins may have been willing to retain up to 50% to make adeal with the Rangers happen, and I would assume the disagreement came over retention and which prospects would be involved.
If what Friedman is saying is true, the Rangers were smart to back off. The Hurricanes held out as long as they could to drop the asking price and got a really good deal. I’m sure the Rangers were trying to pull off the same thing and wait until the Penguins asked for less, but they weren’t able to get it done.
What’s Next for the Rangers?
The Rangers are back in action against the Hurricanes on Tuesday (March 12) and it’s expected Guentzel will make his ‘Canes debut. Hopefully, the Rangers can have a strong finish to their season and line themselves up to have a deep playoff run and win their first Stanley Cup since 1994.