Penguins GM Kyle Dubas finally clears the air on trade rumors around Jake Guentzel

Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Kyle Dubas has denied recent trade rumors involving star forward Jake Guentzel. Speaking on "The GM Show," a team-produced podcast, Dubas denied reports that the team was looking into trading forward Jake Guentzel and clarified statements issued by the player's agent, Ben Hankinson.

Dubas addressed the comments made by Hankinson a few weeks ago, stating that he believed they were not intended to escalate into the level of speculation they had generated.

"I don't think that Ben Hankinson with his comments a few weeks ago meant for it to kind of develop into the level of noise it's gotten to.

"Just in knowing Ben and how much he cares about his clients, and about Jake and my relationship with him, I don't think that was his intention whatsoever."

Hankinson had previously mentioned that things "could get ugly" concerning Guentzel, leading to speculation about the player's future with the Penguins. However, Dubas interpreted these remarks differently, suggesting that Hankinson was referring more to the team's direction in the upcoming seasons rather than any contract disputes.

"I think a lot of people have tried to say that when he said 'it could get ugly,' that was about the contract. I don't think so. I think he was more talking about ... the team and where it's going to go in the next several seasons, So I didn't take it as offensive or as anything other than Ben trying to do right by his client."

The Penguins' GM then categorically stated that the team has not engaged in any discussions with other clubs regarding the potential availability of Jake Guentzel.

"We haven't had any conversations with any other teams about Jake, so anything that's out there is pure speculation, That's really as simple as that.

"We'll continue to go through the season here and I'll continue to evaluate where we're at, and then either at the All-Star break or after the season, we'll do what's best for everybody - best for the Penguins, best for Jake - and we'll determine that together."

Jake Guentzel's stellar season amid trade rumors

Jake Guentzel, a pending unrestricted free agent, is having a productive season, with 19 goals and 27 assists in 42 games during the 2023-24 campaign. Despite being one of the most coveted players if he were to hit the free-agent market, Dubas expressed confidence in the team's trajectory and its pursuit of a playoff spot.

Although this is a significant hurdle for the team’s aging core, the Penguins trail behind in the Metropolitan Division with a 21-15-6 record, good for fourth place.