Pittsburgh Penguins: Jake Guentzel is Here to Stay

After Tuesday night’s unfortunate hit by Rasmus Ristolainen on Jake Guentzel during the Pittsburgh Penguins game against the Buffalo Sabres, I had a real hard thinking about how significant Guentzel has become on the Penguins roster this season.

After being called up to the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, many were unsure as to what this kid named Jake Guentzel could do. Well it turns out that he is a perfectly solid linemate for none other than Sidney Crosby, and he can also put up numbers offensively in his own right too.

But the real question is–is Guentzel just a depth player while our main guys are injured, or is he something more than this? I’m going to go with the latter here and say that I truly believe Guentzel has a long-term spot waiting for him in Pittsburgh. I think Guenztel has legitimately earned his place on this Penguins roster, and there’s a few reasons why.

Looking at the Stats

Well the most obvious reason is his stats. In just 35 games, Guentzel has put up 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points this season. That may sound like a small amount, but imagine what he’d be on pace for in a full 82 game season.

A player able to put up around 50-60 points in a full season is a player you definitely want to have on your team. This projection for Guentzel actually places him in some good territory too. Hiis numbers are actually better than some other Penguins with even more games played, like Carl Hagelin and Bryan Rust.

As well, these projections could match up quite well against some other NHL rookies. Let’s just look at William Nylander and Mitch Marner on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mitch Marner currently has 17 goals and 40 assists in 68 games. Meanwhile, William Nylander has 21 goals and 35 assists in 72 games. I’m not saying Guentzel is as good as them or better, but based on his full season projections at the rate he’s been playing (nearly 50-60 points), he would be pretty close if given the opportunity.

And of course all this goes unnoticed because he has just been a call up this year. Well why not keep him on the main roster and see what happens? I feel like we’ve gotten a good enough preview of Guentzel, now we’re all ready for the real 82-game season!

Pittsburgh Penguins

Complimenting Other players

Not only has Guentzel played well in his own right, he has also been playing great with other players.

For a prime example of this, Just take a look at Crosby. At a time where injuries have plagued the Penguins, Guentzel and Sheary have become Crosby’s new linemates, and they really have thrived at their roles.

With Guentzel’s help, Crosby has been able to keep up his elite scoring pace, and is still battling with Connor McDavid for the lead in the league’s scoring race.

Now when all our injured players come back, I’m not sure exactly where Guentzel will be placed, but I do know that having a player like him who can play big minutes while contributing a lot can be useful in any situation. I’d like to see him play with other Penguins, and I’m sure he’ll still be able to produce well.

The Benefit of the ELC

In terms of contract talk, Guentzel is still on his entry-level contract until the 2019-20 season.

Guentzel is already shining in his rookie season this year.  To think that we still have another two seasons with him on his ELC is great. This gives him ample time to really grow and develop as a player before being handed out big money. I don’t see any reason as to why he shouldn’t be able to excel during this time.

Beyond his ELC though, I’d say the Penguins should still hold on to him depending on his asking price. With the main core of Crosby, Malkin, Kessel and Letang aging, the Penguins have to keep a steady flow of young and elite players coming in. The rise of players like Maatta, Murray and Sheary have already displayed this. Just add Guentzel to this group of players and the Penguins future is looking brighter than most teams.

I think Guentzel brings a whole lot of youth, skill and talent to this team. This comes at a time when we really need it too. With that said, his efforts should not go unnoticed. I really think  he should definitely find himself in a roster spot next season.

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