Jake Guentzel signed a seven-year, $63 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. He will earn an average annual salary of $9 million.
The 29-year-old forward was traded to the Lightning by the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday for a third-round pick in the 2025 draft and could have become an unrestricted free agent at noon Monday. He had 77 points (30 goals, 47 assists) in 67 regular-season games in 2023-24, including 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 17 games after being acquired by the Hurricanes in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 7. Guentzel then added nine points (four goals, five assists) in 11 playoff games.
“This was my first experience in this whole process, and it’s been a whirlwind,” Guentzel said. “Things didn’t work out in Carolina, and then I heard Tampa might be acquiring my rights. I was really excited because everyone knows what a good team they are. It’s also a great place to play. I found out about the trade yesterday, and we’ve been working on it. It’s a really exciting time for me and my family. I can’t wait to get out there and see the place. You hear a lot of good things about the organization. I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity and it’s going to be fun for me and my family.”
A third-round pick (77th overall) by the Penguins in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Guentzel has 491 points (227 goals, 264 assists) in 520 NHL games with Carolina and Pittsburgh. He added 67 points (38 goals, 29 assists) in 69 playoff games. He previously won the Stanley Cup in 2017 with the Penguins.
Tampa Bay traded defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday for defenseman JJ Moser, forward Conor Geekie, a seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft and a second-round pick in 2025. The Lightning also sent forward Tanner Jeannot to the Los Angeles Kings for a fourth-round pick in 2024 and a second-round selection in 2025.
General manager Julien BriseBois indicated Saturday that forward Steven Stamkos, who has just completed the final season of an eight-year contract worth $68 million (average annual salary of $8.5 million) signed on June 29, 2016, would become an unrestricted free agent when the market opens.
“He’s going to the Hall of Fame, he’s a special player,” Guentzel said of Stamkos before he signed with the Nashville Predators for four years and $32 million ($8 million average annual salary) on Monday.
“I have the utmost respect for him. He’s an extraordinary player, and I’ve heard he’s an extraordinary person. I’m not sure what happened. I hope there’s still a chance he can come back. I’d like to play with him and see what happens. I have a lot of respect for him and I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”
“It’s part of hockey. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but obviously it was hard to turn down this opportunity for my family and I. In hockey, there’s going to be pressure no matter where you play, so I think you have to make the most of the opportunity you’re given.”
Guentzel, who played with Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh for eight seasons, will now be able to play with forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point in Tampa.
“Those two guys are elite in the NHL, they’re two of the best players in the league,” Guentzel said. “From a distance, you try to watch those two guys a little bit more than the others. They’re very talented players, they can score a lot of goals and create a lot of plays. If I get a chance to play with them, I’m going to come out for them and try to get them the puck as often as possible.”
“I was lucky enough to play with Sid and [Evgeni Malkin]and of course Sebastian Aho (in Carolina), so I got to play with some really good players. If I get the chance to play with those players, it’ll be really fun. I’m looking forward to it.”
*With contributions from NHL.com freelance correspondent Corey Long.
