Top free agent won't discuss new contract with Kyle Dubas during the season

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Katelyn Mary Harr
January 6, 2024 (4:48 PM)

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Jake Guentzel is in no hurry to discuss future with the Pittsburgh Penguins, especially considering his relationship with Kyle Dubas.

If you've been paying attention to hockey at all this season, then you're probably fairly aware of how decent the Penguins have been doing. Despite winning back-to-back Stanley Cups back in 2016-17, the team had since fallen off, losing in the first round of the playoffs three times and not even qualifying last year. But this season has been surprisingly electric for the team, with 36-year-old captain Sidney Crosby tied for 7th place in the whole league with 22 goals.

The second-most goal scorer on the Penguins is left winger Jake Guentzel. The 29-year-old was drafted by Pittsburgh in 2013 and has spent his entire professional career with the team. He signed a five-year, $30 million contract back in 2018 and is currently in the final year of said contract. According to David Pagnotta on X, Guentzel is apparently in no hurry to discuss his future with the Pittsburgh Penguins and wants to play the season out first.

A quote from Guentzel's agent also goes further into what fans could potentially expect within the next several months:

He's on the last year of a deal. The good news is I have a really good relationship with Kyle Dubas. Jake Guentzel is in a great spot. He started his career there. It's no secret the team is getting older. There are some Hall of Fame players on that team. What's going to happen, I don't know. But I'm going to lean on conversations I've already had with Kyle, including in the summer, including conversations with Jake. I think the good thing is we'll all be on the same page. Could it get ugly? Yes, it could. Kyle has to make decisions, too, which way the team is going and the investment he's going to make with Jake. Is it the same direction? It's going to come down to how they play and we'll put our heads together. And like we talked about a couple of minutes ago, all the things that go into trade deadlines, (Kyle) might look into what he can get for Jake or what it costs to sign him. There's a lot that will happen in two months, and I don't know the answers to that. But I do know Jake loves Pittsburgh. He's a hockey player. He's had some good success and fun in that city. We'll see.

Guentzel leads the Pittsburgh Penguins in points at 43. He is a dynamite player who has truly proved himself over the last five years. While the future of Jake Guentzel may be uncertain, it's safe to say he'll remain extraordinary whether he stays in Pittsburgh or heads to another team.