NEWSLETTER
Yesterday we discussed a comment from Elliotte Friedman on the “Jeff Marek Show” in which he thought the Blackhawks might be in play for Carolina forward and UFA-to-be Jake Guentzel this summer. That was an attention-grabber because that’s a bigger fish than many expected the Blackhawks to be flirting with this summer.
On Friday morning’s episode of their “32 Thoughts” Podcast, Friedman went a bit further into what may be more smoke surrounding the Chicago-Guentzel potential.
According to Friedman, Carolina is increasingly unlikely to keep Guentzel and are now letting teams know they’re willing to move his negotiating rights before July 1 for a mid-round pick. And he went as far as to say he’s heard Chicago is willing to “accelerate the process”
“I don’t think it impossible that Chicago is considering this,” Friedman added.
As I wrote yesterday, the contract projections from AFP Analytics have Guentzel, who turns 30 in early October, at a six-year deal around an $8 million AAV.
I invite you to circle back and read my thoughts on the Guentzel fit from yesterday again, but want to reiterate here that this is significant for the Blackhawks because it indicates there’s belief around the NHL that general manager Kyle Davidson is willing to jump into the deep end of the free agency pool this summer for an impact player.
If you’re wondering about the idea of the Blackhawks trading for his rights, the mid-round pick is intriguing compensation. The Blackhawks have two picks in the third-round this year (theirs and Ottawa’s) but no fourth-round pick. In the 2025 NHL Draft the Blackhawks have their own third-round pick and two picks in the fourth round (theirs and the Rangers’).
I also wonder, if the Canes are looking to keep their roster competitive, if there’s an opportunity for Davidson to move some of his RFA capital in a deal here. Last summer, he traded the rights to RFA defensemen Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula to Boston for Taylor Hall and the rights to Nick Foligno. Chicago’s RFA list (at this point) still includes Joey Anderson, Taylor Raddysh, MacKenzie Entwistle, Cole Guttman and Reese Johnson up front and Isaak Phillips, Louis Crevier and Filip Roos on the blue line.
Carolina traded the rights to Cruz Lucius, Vasily Ponomarev, Michael Bunting, Ville Koivunen, and a second-round pick (from Philadephia) in the 2024 draft to Pittsburgh for Guentzel and Ty Smith at the deadline this past season.
You can listen to the full pod episode here (the Guentzel discussion begins around 27:49)
