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

Guentzel adds sound flexibility and fits right in with the lineup

Regardless of how well somebody plays for one organization, there are no guarantees they will be a good fit elsewhere. Whether they can’t catch on to a new system, if they don’t fit the style of play their new team possesses, or if they just aren’t ready to slide into a slightly different role, we see NHL teams make ill-fated moves every year. 

The Hurricanes needed a reliable scorer, and they got one with Guentzel, something we have seen the most prominent sources out there say time and again. Some may claim that Guentzel was so successful in Pittsburgh because of Sidney Crosby’s presence, and while Sebastian Aho is not at Crosby’s level (few are), he’s still a great center who Guentzel should line up alongside without missing a beat. 

However, there is still a chance Carolina chooses to line him up alongside someone like Jordan Staal and Seth Jarvis, creating what could be a dynamic top-six in Raleigh. Overall, it doesn’t matter who the Hurricanes line Guentzel up with; he’s flexible enough of a winger to provide a boost in production, considering what he’s done in Pittsburgh, even with a star player like Crosby.

Regardless of how flexible he is, the Hurricanes could immediately emulate what he did with Crosby during his days in Pittsburgh, and that would mean putting him next to Aho. It won’t be long until we see what they do with Guentzel once he’s cleared to play again.