The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired forward Jake Guentzel from the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Guentzel, 29, can become an unrestricted free agent at noon ET on Monday. He completed the final season of a five-year, $30 million contract signed before the 2019-20 season when he played for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Tampa Bay has exclusive rights to sign him, possibly to a maximum seven-year contract, before the window closes Monday.
Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said Saturday that they expect team captain Steven Stamkos, a star center who is 34, to test free agency.
Carolina had traded in March with Pittsburgh for Guentzel, a 2021 All-Star. He had 22 goals and 30 assists in 50 games for the Penguins, and eight goals and 17 assists with the Hurricanes in 17 regular-season contests for a combined plus-25 rating. He contributed nine points (four goals, five assists) in 11 playoff games.
Pittsburgh selected Guentzel in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft, and he won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2017.
In eight NHL seasons starting in 2016-17, Guentzel has 227 goals, 264 assists, 31 game-winning scores and has a plus-53 rating in 520 regular-season games. He has an additional 67 points (38 goals, 29 assists) in 69 playoff contests.
–Field Level Media
