Raleigh, North Carolina — Jake Guentzel doesn't know when he will make his debut with the Carolina Hurricanes, but he doesn't think he will be out for long.
Guentzel, who was traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Hurricanes on Thursday, hasn't played since Feb. 14 due to an upper-body injury. He has played in 50 games this season and has 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists).
“I've been skating for about a week now,” Guentzel said Friday. “Once I go to Carolina and see a doctor, I'll get a diagnosis, so I'm waiting for that. I'm still not sure when I'll be back in the lineup, but I'm moving in the right direction.”
The 29-year-old forward will receive Michael Bunting, promising forwards Vasily Ponomarev and Vile Koivunen, forward Cruz Lucius, a conditional first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and a conditional 2024 draft pick. He was acquired in a trade for a fifth-round pick. . Carolina also acquired defenseman Ty Smith.
“I know what the team has done in the past and how close we've come. I'm really excited about this opportunity,” Guentzel said. “This is a special team. They have a lot of high-end players and they're really well-coached.”
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour isn't sure where Guentzel fits, but his new forward has scored 40 points twice and has 466 points (219 goals, 247 assists) in 503 games with the Penguins. was recorded.
“In Guentzel's case, it's just a top player. Any team would try to get him,” Brind'Amour said. “The exciting part about a player like that is knowing the character side. He applies to everything we're talking about. How he fits in here and helps us. I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens.”
Guentzel provides a proven goal scorer that Carolina has been looking for the past few seasons. The Hurricanes (37-19-6) are in second place in the Metropolitan Division, four points behind the New York Rangers.
“You want to score goals in this league,” he said. “It's always good when guys set you up. Shooting the puck and scoring goals is the biggest thing. If that happens, I'm excited for the opportunity. There. I’m looking forward to getting there.”
