Guentzel likes Lightning’s Stanley Cup chances, ‘winning pedigree’

EDINA, Minn. -- Jake Guentzel knows what it takes to win the Stanley Cup, having done so as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017. Now entering his ninth NHL season, he is looking to do it again with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

And the forward sees the Lightning, who won the Cup in 2020 and 2021 and have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs each of the past seven seasons, as the perfect fit.

“They all know how to win,” Guentzel said Wednesday at Da Beauty League, a 4-on-4 summer league featuring collegiate and NHL players with ties to Minnesota. “There’s just a winning pedigree there. [And I] still feel like we have a chance to win.”

Guentzel was traded to Tampa Bay by the Carolina Hurricanes on June 30 for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 29-year-old signed a seven-year, $63 million contract ($9 million average annual value) on July 1, when he could have become an unrestricted free agent.

Guentzel is familiar with Tampa Bay forward Conor Sheary, having played two seasons with him in Pittsburgh (2016-18), and has spoken with Lightning defenseman and fellow Minnesotan Ryan McDonagh about the culture and team. He also said a number of new teammates have reached out via text to welcome him.

Guentzel is expected to play a top-six role with core forwards Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. All five players are under contract for at least the next three seasons.

Tampa Bay did lose longtime forward and captain Steven Stamkos, who signed a four-year, $32 million contract ($8 million AAV) with the Nashville Predators on July 1.

“There’s a lot of high-end players, elite players on the team, and just an unbelievable opportunity for me and my family to go do something else on our own,” Guentzel said. “It’s going to be fun for us. It’s going to be different, it’s going to be challenging, but it’s going to be something that we’re looking forward to.”

Selected by Pittsburgh in the third round (No. 77) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Guentzel has 491 points (227 goals, 264 assists) in 520 regular-season games for the Hurricanes and Penguins and 67 points (38 goals, 29 assists) in 69 playoff games.

He had 77 points (30 goals, 47 assists) in 67 regular-season games for the Hurricanes and Penguins last season, including 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 17 games after he was acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh on March 7. He was sidelined for four weeks with an upper-body injury before making his Carolina debut March 12.

Guentzel had nine points (four goals, five assists) in 11 playoff games for the Hurricanes, who lost in the Eastern Conference Second Round against the New York Rangers in six games.

The Lightning were eliminated in the first round, losing to the eventual-champion Florida Panthers in five games.

“I just want to help them try to win the Stanley Cup,” Guentzel said. “I think that’s always the ultimate goal. Obviously it’s playoffs first but just kind of come in and do my thing. Play hockey and kind of have fun with it. I’m going to play with high-end players. It’s going to be challenging but that’s what makes hockey fun.”

He can’t wait to get started.

“It’s a new team, a new division and a new opportunity,” Guentzel said. “Last year was a really different year for me with injury and being traded and what not, but I learned a lot, too. I think heading into this season with Tampa is going to be really exciting just to see what we can manage to do together with all the high-end talent there is.

“Like I said, if I just play my game and my style of hockey, hopefully it will click and we can do something really special down there.”