"My intention was to stay:" Jake Guentzel, held pointless in Pittsburgh return, speaks on time with Penguins
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - It was only 19 days ago the Penguins traded star winger Jake Guentzel and young defenseman Ty Smith to the Carolina Hurricanes for Michael Bunting, Vasily Ponomarev, Villie Koivunen, Cruz Lucius, and some conditional draft picks.
However, Tuesday night was a special one as Guentzel returned with his new team.
During the first period, the Penguins played a tribute video to the 2017 Stanley Cup champion.
The 29-year-old forward was drafted 77th overall by the Penguins in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and went on to score 219 goals in 503 regular season games in Pittsburgh, he also was a key contributor as a rookie to the Penguins' 2017 Stanley Cup, scoring 13 goals and five of those were game-winning goals.
Despite being held off the scoresheet on Tuesday night as the Penguins skated to a 4-1 victory over Carolina, Guentzel spoke with reporters following the game and said he didn't want to leave Pittsburgh.
"My intention was to stay, but they thought there was a better direction - to go in a different way," he said from the visitors' locker room. "It was out of my hand, not my choice."
Guentzel has fit in quite well in Carolina, scoring two goals and 10 assists for 12 points in just nine games played.
While unlikely, he still is on an expiring contract and is set to test unrestricted free agency on July 1, and could possibly reunite with his now former team.
"I don't know, we will see how this year goes, but I really like it in Carolina."
