3 ways Jake Guentzel helps the Carolina Hurricanes in their quest for the Stanley Cup

The Carolina Hurricanes found themselves a dynamic forward when they traded for Jake Guentzel in a trade that also saw them acquire Ty Smith. Guentzel was one of the hottest names in the rumor mill, and it was a foregone conclusion that a contending team would add him to their lineup in a blockbuster move. 

Carolina was one of several teams linked to Guentzel along with the Detroit Red Wings (an organization whose general manager is fond of making such moves to bring in star players), the Vancouver Canucks, the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Colorado Avalanche. 

However, a few of the teams listed above made some significant acquisitions, such as the Golden Knights adding Anthony Mantha and Noah Hanifin, the Panthers bringing in Vladimir Tarasenko, and the Avalanche acquiring a flurry of names that included Casey Mittelstadt, Sean Walker, and Yakov Trenin, among others. 

This left Carolina as one of the few teams linked to Guentzel to make a big move, but the Canucks and Red Wings also could have had a say. 

Carolina Hurricanes win Jake Guentzel sweepstakes despite competition

In January, the Canucks landed Elias Lindholm in what we now know was an ill-fated move. And with just seven points in 16 games with Vancouver, don’t be surprised if Lindholm is moved at or in the hours leading to the deadline, and there are plenty of reasons to believe Vancouver should move on. Therefore, it’s easy to see why the Canucks may have been interested in winning the Guentzel sweepstakes.

But then there were the Red Wings, who added Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane to their ranks following a few other memorable transactions. However, it was general manager Don Waddell and company who won the sweepstakes in the end. So how does Jake Guentzel help the Hurricanes, and will he take the team back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006?