Jake Guentzel rips into his former Pittsburgh Penguins team for a second time
Photo credit: USA Today
Jake Guentzel doesn't appear to be done bashing his former Pittsburgh Penguins team yet, as he has attacked them with harsh comments for a second time.
Star forward Jake Guentzel, one of the most coveted players on the NHL free agent market, signed a multi-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He made his NHL debut in Pittsburgh with the Penguins. At the last trade deadline, he went to the Carolina Hurricanes. Now he's preparing for his first season in Tampa as part of a seven-year deal. Smooth was not exactly how everything would go, according to Josh Yohe of The Athletic.
This summer, Guentzel spoke candidly to Yohe about a frustrating season on and off the ice. Between the Penguins and Hurricanes in 67 games, he produced an excellent total of 30 goals and 77 points. But these successes were overshadowed by the uncertainty of his trade and its implications for him and his family. Indeed, Guentzel made no secret of his disappointment with being moved from Pittsburgh, which had drafted him 77th overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
«Staying in Pittsburgh was always the goal,» he said. «That's very fair to say. I told Hank at the beginning of last year, �Let's get something done. This is where I want to be.'»
The deal was consummated by Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas, who opted to ship Guentzel out to Carolina rather than find a way of keeping him in Pittsburgh. That move still has a pretty significant effect on Guentzel, who feels somewhat betrayed by the organization.
«You realize that it's a business really fast,» Guentzel said.
Of course, he was not alone. It became divisive with the team, as Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was very public in his disapproval of management's decision to get rid of such a key player. Actually, Crosby was pretty outspoken to the media about it, which really just served to keep the debate going even stronger about what kind of message was being set to the rest of the team with the trade.
«I don't know,» Crosby said, visibly upset. «That's probably a better question for them.»
Despite rough dealings, Guentzel is attempting to look ahead. There's loads on him now to thrive in Tampa, yet he says he's ready for that challenge. That includes lessons learned during those six seasons in Pittsburgh, especially with Crosby, which will help propel him into this next chapter. It might have been messy, but no hard feelings are lingering with Guentzel for his former teammates.
«Just playing with Sid, learning from him, and all the great players and great coaches that were in Pittsburgh during my time there, it's always going to help me,» Guentzel said.
«There is a lot of pressure on me,» he added. «But that's what makes it fun. I'm ready for this. I've learned a lot over the years. I learned so much in Pittsburgh.»
«There is a lot of pressure on me,» he added. «But that's what makes it fun. I'm ready for this. I've learned a lot over the years. I learned so much in Pittsburgh.»
He'll put on his skates with the Lightning, and he said he wants to make sure he takes full advantage of the opportunity. The road has been hard, and all he can really do is prove himself and find his place in Tampa. Different challenges may be in store for him, but from the experience he had with Pittsburgh to the support of his new team, Jake Guentzel is set to make this a new successful chapter.
| POLL | ||
27 SEPTEMBRE | 82 ANSWERS Jake Guentzel rips into his former Pittsburgh Penguins team for a second time Should the Penguins have kept Jake Guentzel? | ||
| Yes | 70 | 85.4 % |
| No | 12 | 14.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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