Getty Carolina Hurricanes forward Jake Guentzel.
The Carolina Hurricanes split their end-of-season media availability into two sessions held on May 18 and May 19. All players and coaches talked to reporters for one last time this season, including upcoming (and coveted) free agent forward Jake Guentzel.
After getting traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Canes ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, and following his team’s elimination from the playoffs, Guentzel spoke about his time in Carolina and what might come next for him.
Jordan Staal, Brent Burns, and Jake Guentzel were among the players who met with the media on the first day of end-of-season interviews.
Notables from Saturday’s session ⬇️
“I’ve loved my experience here. I’ve loved it here. It’s a great place to play,” Guentzel told reporters on May 18. “I don’t think you realize behind the scenes how good it is. The guys make it good too.”
After giving his teammates some flowers and praising Raleigh, however, Guentzel left the door open to a potential exit from Carolina as a free agent in the 2024 summer. At the very least, he will make Hurricanes fans wait a few more days or weeks to know his final decision.
“We’ll see what happens. This team for sure can win a Stanley Cup. I think it’s right there,” Guentzel said. “I want to win more than anything and that’s all I care about.”
Jake Guentzel Open to an Extension, Wants “Stability”
Guentzel’s comments weren’t the worst possible Hurricanes fans could have heard from him after the team fell to the Rangers in the second round of the playoffs.
Instead of simply teasing his testing of the free agent market, Guentzel spoke highly of the city and the franchise, painting a rather promising picture of a potential future within the organization.
“I have a family now so that’s a big part of it. It’s not so much for me but for me and my family. I have a little one too, so there’s a lot of factors that go into it, but so far I’ve loved everything about this place,” Guentzel said during his exit interview on May 18.
“Hopefully you can kind of get some stability and be able to sign here long-term,” Guntzel said.
With Guentzel not discarding the possibility of signing a long-term deal with the Hurricanes, the ball seems to be on Carolina’s court now.
Hurricanes Entering Crucial Offseason
This season, Guentzel’s annual average value (AAV) was set at $6 million (via PuckPedia), a figure whoever signs him will reasonably need to raise.
Guentzel is one of eight Hurricanes players set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1, 2024, according to CapFriendly. Six other players in the Canes roster will enter restricted free agency.
The 29-year-old forward is coming off a 17-game stint with the Canes in the regular season in which he scored 8 goals and 17 assists for 25 total points. In the playoffs, Guentzel racked up 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists) in 11 outings.
Done deal!
Rod Brind’Amour has signed a multi-year extension with the #Canes 🖋️
Carolina already completed the most important move of its offseason by extending head coach Rod Brind’Amour to a five-year contract before he reached free agency on July 1, the team announced on May 19.
With that problem already solved, it’s time for the Hurricanes to start handling their free-agent business, including dealing with the potential departures or extensions of Jalen Chatfield, Tony DeAngelo, Jordan Martinook, Stefan Noesen, Brett Pesce, Antti Raanta, Brady Skjei, and Teuvo Teravainen.
Carolina’s Upcoming Free Agents, Willing to Re-Sign
Most of the players who talked to reporters during the May 18-19 weekend as part of the end-of-season media availability held by the Hurricanes sounded happy to stay put in Raleigh next season by signing extensions.
“I’m hopeful we can work something out here,” Pesce said on May 18, via NHL.com. “Everyone knows I love it here. I love the guys, I love the core, and I still think we can get it done.”
“I’ve had such a good time here,” Teravainen told reporters. “All these people and this team have been awesome. Everything is good, so hopefully I can stay. You never know. It’s a new situation for me right now.”
“I just want a fair offer, probably, is the biggest thing,” Skjei said. “We will see what that looks like. I love it here. It’s an amazing place. Great players, great guys. It’s a fun place to be for sure.”
“This (Carolina) would always be an option because of the way I feel about [coach Rod Brind’Amour],” DeAngelo said. “I told them my phone is going to be on all summer. If they call, it would be great. If they don’t, I totally understand too.”
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