3 reasons why the Red Wings must acquire Jake Guentzel at the trade deadline
If there is anybody worth watching for a blockbuster trade, it’s the Detroit Red Wings and forward Jake Guentzel.
While there is a good chance Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is finished making blockbuster trades and would instead opt for more under-the-radar moves at the 2024 trade deadline, we still can’t count out the possibility he finds a way to make one more. Jake Guentzel is perhaps the biggest name in the rumor mill among forwards, so don’t be surprised if Yzerman at least makes a serious push for the 29-year-old.
While Guentzel is currently on injured reserve and will miss significant time, there is a good chance he will return following the trade deadline. Therefore, it wouldn’t hurt to acquire Guentzel, only to see him take the ice for the most important part of the regular season, in which every game will be meaningful for Detroit.
The Motor City would also be a great fit for Guentzel for several reasons, and we know Yzerman is doing all he can to ensure this team turns the corner, given his trade for Alex Debrincat this past summer.
DeBrincat has become yet another prolific scorer for Detroit, snagging 19 goals in 56 contests so far this season. Yzerman also brought in Patrick Kane, who has 24 points in 25 games.
Jake Guentzel to the Red Wings makes sense on many accounts
Despite DeBrincat and Kane’s success so far this season with the Red Wings, Jake Guentzel may bring even more upside. He’s found the net 98 times since the beginning of 2021-22, and he’s been a major factor as to why the Penguins haven’t fallen entirely into obscurity this year.
Guentzel is also playing for an aging team that, sooner or later, could look to start rebuilding. There is even talk about Sidney Crosby leaving Pittsburgh at some point, so if general manager Kyle Dubas indeed starts hosting a fire sale involving Crosby following the season, it could indicate Guentzel will be the first to go so Pittsburgh can get something for him, or else he walks in free agency.
Jake Guentzel would give the Red Wings more than just a depth-scoring option
While the Red Wings could get by with a depth-scoring addition at the 2024 trade deadline, Jake Guentzel would give them more than that should they trade for him. This is a forward who has averaged over 20 minutes of ice time across the previous four seasons, and that trend will continue this year once he’s ready to roll again.
He’s also a physical player who can help out the Red Wings defensively. Detroit may be winning games thanks to their high-octane approach, but without the puck, they are far from a playoff-caliber team.
Guentzel wouldn’t work miracles when the Red Wings are in their own zone, but he wouldn’t make it so easy for opponents to skate through and take advantage of scoring lanes.
Despite his recent injury, Guentzel has also proven to be rather durable since the 2020-21 season, playing in 210 regular season contests between then and 2022-23. Therefore, he won’t spend too much time in the press box once he’s cleared to return.
Guentzel also isn’t the type of player who can only score, as his 30 assists this season had him on pace for a career-high before his injury. He’s good at finding linemates who have an open scoring lane and letting them do the rest, something that will take Detroit to even higher levels offensively.
The Red Wings can afford to keep Guentzel long-term
Steve Yzerman is one of the NHL’s most calculating general managers. He has managed to pull off a plethora of big moves over the years, and yet his team has a good deal of cap space not only at the deadline, but following the season. So, there is a good chance the Red Wings could keep Guentzel around long-term if they trade for him.
There are also quite a few forwards on the Red Wings who will be unrestricted free agents this summer, including David Perron and Patrick Kane, both of whom will be over 35. Wouldn’t it be great for Detroit to have someone like Guentzel succeed Perron while keeping the option open to bring Kane back for another year?
Not just that, but imagine the chemistry Guentzel would build with skaters who will find themselves in Detroit for a while, like Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, Andrew Copp, and Michael Rasmussen.
There is no way the Red Wings can go wrong trading for Guentzel, given their current cap situation. If they bring the 29-year-old to the Motor City and extend him, then Detroit could have a legitimate core at forward for quite some time, and one that might easily become perennial Stanley Cup contenders.
Guentzel could turn Detroit into the NHL’s top-scoring team
So far in 2023-24, the Detroit Red Wings have been one of the NHL’s most dynamic groups when they have the puck. With 196 goals this season, Detroit ranks seventh among the league’s 32 teams in scoring, and someone like Guentzel coming to town will only increase that number.
Here is an interesting possession metric to know about Guentzel: When he’s on the ice at even strength, the Penguins have an 11.7 shooting percentage, which is currently a career-high for Guentzel. At 5-on-5, that number sits at 9.7 percent, Guentzel’s highest since the 2018-19 season. This is rather significant, considering how poorly the Penguins have scored this season, having found the net just 159 times.
Earlier, we established that Guentzel was once again doing more than his fair share in Pittsburgh, with 30 assists to go with his 22 goals. Just think about what he can do with a team that is more competent in the offensive zone, not just at even strength and at 5-on-5, but also on the power play.
And speaking of a team’s on-ice shooting percentage, the Penguins are scoring at an eye-popping 50.0 percent when Guentzel is on the ice, or 19 of the team’s 25 power play goals. That said, Guentzel will make a good power play in Detroit even better.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 23rd)