Jake Guentzel, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, began the 2023-24 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in March. Throughout 67 games with both teams, he accumulated 77 points (30 goals, 47 assists), 22 penalty minutes, and a plus-25 rating. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Hurricanes, Guentzel added nine points in 11 games.
To clear sufficient salary cap space, the Tampa Bay Lightning made trades on Saturday, sending Tanner Jeannot to the Los Angeles Kings and Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Grizzlies. This move enables the Lightning to sign Guentzel to a long-term contract with a substantial cap hit. Additionally, it likely signifies the departure of Steven Stamkos, who will become an unrestricted free agent on Monday at 12 pm ET, officially ending his tenure with the Lightning.
