Sidney Crosby Makes Heartfelt Statement About Jake Guentzel Following Trade

The team pulled the trigger on a trade involving Jake Guentzel last night. It was the first move in what could be a rebuild for the organization. Kyle Dubas has expressed a desire to prepare for the future and more importantly, make the team younger. This trade accomplishes both those things. In exchange for Guentzel as well as defenseman Ty Smith, the Penguins added forward Michael Bunting and forward prospects Vasily Ponomarev, Ville Koivunen, and Cruz Lucius. Furthermore, they acquired a conditional 1st round pick and conditional 5th round pick, both in the 2024 draft.

While the Penguins did not get a single premium asset, they acquired a proven NHL player as well as three prospects that each have legit NHL upside, even as depth pieces. Things certainly could have been worse even if the return is not exactly what Penguins fans had hoped for. That being said, trades are never easy, even for players like Sidney Crosby.

The Penguins captain seemed to be a bit emotional when discussing the trade after the Penguins' 6-0 route at the hands of the Capitals. He reflected on his time as Guentzel's teammate, highlighting his favorite qualities in the center.

Guentzel played in 503 career games with the Penguins, recording 219 goals and 466 points in the process. He was also a key part of the 2017 team that won a Stanley Cup as he scored 13 goals in 25 points in that cup run as a rookie.

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