Penguins A to Z: Jake Guentzel could get a second chance

While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 55 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.

Player: Jake Guentzel

Position: Left winger

Shoots: Left

Age: 25

Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 180 pounds

2019-20 NHL statistics: 39 games, 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists)

Contract: First year of a five-year contract with a salary cap hit of $6 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2024. (Note: Guentzel was on long-term injured reserve by the time the NHL season was halted, and the Penguins were relieved of his entire salary cap hit.)

Acquired: Third-round draft pick (No. 77 overall), June 30, 2013

This season: Guentzel was kind of ahead of his time.

Before everyone had their season interrupted, he had his season interrupted.

The 2019-20 campaign was shaping up to be the signature season of Guentzel’s career. With franchise centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin sidelined throughout the first three months because of injuries, and starting goaltender Matt Murray working through inconsistency, Guentzel was the Penguins MVP through the first half of the season.

And considering his success this season was largely done with Crosby absent, Guentzel dispelled the notion he was a product of playing with the Penguins captain.

It wasn’t so much that Guentzel was just collecting goals at a voracious pace. It was that he was scoring important goals.

All of that success led to Guentzel being selected for an All-Star Game for the first time. Having established a career high with 40 goals in 2018-19, Guentzel appeared set to shatter that mark.

Everything came to a halt Dec. 30, when Guentzel was tripped and crashed violently into the end boards, suffering a right shoulder injury that required surgery and a time frame of four to six months for recovery.

The future: Quite a few things have change since Guentzel was last in the lineup, especially because of his absence.

Namely, Jason Zucker is wearing a Penguins jersey.

General manager Jim Rutherford did what he could by filling the void Guentzel’s absence created on the wings in acquiring Zucker, who has been a near immedate fit on Crosby’ flank.

If the season resumes, a potential return for Guentzel creates quite a few questions.

First, does he go back on Crosby’s left wing? Or should he play with Malkin, as was the case throughout November and December?

Additionally, where will Guentzel’s game be at if he returns? Shoulders can be notoriously difficult for hockey players to completely heal. Just ask former Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta and forward Maxime Talbot, who had significant portions of their careers interrupted or hindered by shoulder woes.

Finally, what about the salary cap? With Guentzel on long-term injured reserve, his salary cap hit was off the books and it granted Rutherford the freedom to add Zucker as well as forwards Patrick Marleau, Evan Rodrigues and Conor Sheary before the trade deadline. If the NHL tries to play any portion of the remaining regular season with Guentzel, that would push them over the salary cap ceiling under the existing rules.

But given how unprecedented this pause is for the NHL, the league could return with a temporary set of regulations for the salary cap and roster limits to complete this season.

Regardless of the questions that exist, Guentzel could get a second chance to complete his season.