The Carolina Hurricanes garnered a reputation for being uncompromising during negotiations. It has led many to call them "tough to work with" and has led to subpar returns, especially at the trade deadline. The team would do something, but not nearly enough to get them over the hump. That all seemed to change at the 2024 trade deadline.
The anticipation in Raleigh was palpable when the team took the ice to face the Montreal Canadiens on March 7, 2024. While Frederik Andersen's return after four months was big news on the ice in a 4-1 victory, everyone's attention was fixated on the news that Carolina was in talks with Pittsburgh about Jake Guentzel.
When the dust settled, the package was one of the largest I'd ever seen. It was so large that I had to forgo the usual graphic for this table. To acquire Guentzel and defenseman Ty Smith, the Canes sent forwards Michael Bunting, who the Canes scratched against Montreal, Vasily Ponomarev, Ville Koivunen, and Cruz Lucius, and conditional 1st and 5th-round picks in 2024 to Pittsburgh.
Carolina receives | Pittsburgh receives |
|---|---|
F Jake Guentzel (25% retained) | F Michael Bunting |
D Ty Smith | F Vasily Ponomarev |
F Ville Koivunen | |
F Cruz Lucius | |
Conditional 2024 1st-Round Pick | |
Conditional 2024 5th-Round Pick |
This move felt monumental for the Hurricanes. While Guentzel was in the final year of his contract, this was a lot for the team to trade for a potential rental. Maybe the front office was turning over a new leaf. Maybe they felt this was the year the team could get over the hump. Whatever it was, the fans benefited from it greatly.
Pittsburgh's return has good potential down the line
It was a very unceremonious way for Michael Bunting's time in Raleigh to end. He'd signed a three-year deal during the offseason to join the Hurricanes after two very good seasons in Toronto. He'd been decent in Carolina, scoring 13 goals and 36 points in 60 games, but he was being reunited with Kyle Dubas, his GM in Toronto.
Bunting finished the season in Pittsburgh with 19 points in 21 games. He had another good start to the season last year (29 points in 58 games), but he was traded again. This time, Bunting landed in Nashville for Tommy Novak and Luke Schenn. Bunting has one year left on his deal, so I wouldn't put a potential deadline deal out of the question if Nashville is out of it this season.
Neither Ponomarev nor Koivunen played for the Penguins in 2023-24, though both saw time with the big team last season. Ponomarev made seven appearances throughout the season, going scoreless in all seven. Koivunen recorded seven assists in eight games in April, finishing the season on a five-game point streak. I expect both to play for the Penguins this season.
The Hurricanes selected Lucius in the 4th round of the 2022 Draft. Playing with the U.S. Development Program, Lucius took his talents to Madison. He played two good seasons with the Wisconsin Badgers before transferring to Arizona State, where his numbers took a hit last season. He'll be back in Tempe this year, with a potential entry-level deal possible by the end of the season.
The conditional 1st-round pick was contingent on the Canes making it to the Stanley Cup Final, while Pittsburgh would only receive the 5th-round pick if the Canes were the final team standing. When they didn't, the pick turned into a 2nd-rounder. With the 44th pick, the Penguins selected defenseman Harrison Brunicke.
Guentzel and the Hurricanes were a perfect match
An injury forced Guentzel to miss a month, making the Caniacs wait a few more days for him to make his official debut. The time came on March 12th against the Rangers, a 1-0 loss. Going without a point would be a rare occurrence during Guentzel's time in Raleigh. He notched his first assist in the team's next game, a 4-0 win against the Panthers.
Once the points started flowing, they couldn't be stopped. Guentzel recorded points in 14 of his 17 games after the trade, including eight multi-point efforts and points in his final eight contests. Guentzel finished the regular season with 25 points as a Hurricane, bringing his season total to 30 goals and 77 points in 67 games.
No two players benefited more from Guentzel's arrival than Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. Over the last month, Aho had 11 goals, nine of which Guentzel assisted on, and 21 points, while Jarvis scored 13 times, seven with Guentzel's assistance, to reach 30 goals for the first time in his NHL career. The Canes went 13-3-1 with Guentzel in the lineup, finishing second in the division.
The trio continued their excellent play into the playoffs. Aho led the way with 12 points, while Jarvis and Guentzel had nine points each. Unfortunately, the Hurricanes fell into too deep a hole against the New York Rangers, bowing out in the 2nd round. There was still hope that a long-term solution could keep Guentzel in Raleigh before hitting free agency.
All indications point to Guentzel wanting to sign a long-term agreement with the Canes. That's just not how it turned out. The Canes sent him to Tampa for a 3rd-round pick before the Bolts signed him to a seven-year deal. He set a career-high with 41 goals and reached 80 points for the just the second time in his career.
We'll always look back at what could've been with Jake Guentzel and a potential stay in Raleigh beyond 2024. Regardless, the time we got with him was special, albeit short. It provided fans a glimpse into what happens when the front office is willing to go for it. We've been treated to a lot of the same since then, too. This new mindset has brought about many big names.