With more than a month to go until the league’s trade deadline, now is the time for NHL teams to take stock of their current roster and pull the trigger on any deals that could push them over the top, or help them rebuild, in the year (or years) ahead.
For the Pittsburgh Penguins, fans and followers of Pennsylvania sports betting would concede, 2024 seems like a year to do the latter. Pittsburgh sits in a three-way tie for fifth with the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals in the eight-team Metropolitan Division with 51 points, three points behind the New York Islanders and 11 points behind the first-place New York Rangers. The Penguins also are in a three-way tie for 10th in the conference.
PA sports betting apps have the Penguins buried in their Stanley Cup odds. In fact, BetMGM Sportsbook PA has the Penguins at +2500 to win It all, tied with the Devils for 14th place.
That placement in the standings might mean that veterans like left wing Jake Guentzel, who has 22 goals and 27 assists this season to go with a +12 rating, could be acquired before the league’s March 8 deadline.
Guentzel has posted a point share of 5.7 in 2023-24, per Hockey-Reference.com, meaning he likely will be a sought-after commodity should Pittsburgh decide to load up on prospects before the deadline.
With that in mind, PennStakes.com – your source for PA online gambling – offered hypothetical odds on Guentzel’s next team, with the Penguins being the leader in the clubhouse at -200 as of Tuesday.
Jake Guentzel Next Team Odds
Who Lands Guentzel Next, or Does He Stay?
Outside of the Steel City, the next closest team odds-wise to land Guentzel’s services are the Edmonton Oilers, who sit at +1200 after posting the third best point total (59) in the NHL’s Pacific Division.
The rest of the suitors for Guentzel are all playoff contenders, with the Colorado Avalanche (+1500) sitting in first place in the Central Division, at 68 points, two points ahead of the Dallas Stars, who are fourth on the list at +3500. BetRivers PA has Colorado at +850 to win the Cup, behind only the Oilers (+750).
Other teams that could land the 29-year-old Penguins forward include the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, who are listed at +1750, as well as the Rangers (+2500) and Vancouver Canucks (+4000).
Odds are, however, Guentzel stays put. Our odds that he stays with the team or moves to a team not listed are -200, a 71.4% chance.
