so sad to leave: Jake Guentzel announces his leaving the Vancouver Canucks this season might he be done with the…..

A new potential suitor for Carolina Hurricanes forward Jake Guentzel’s negotiating rights ahead of free agency has surfaced: the Vancouver Canucks.

On June 9, Ben Kuzma  of the Vancouver Province reported that the Canucks might attempt to acquire Guentzel’s negotiating rights from the Hurricanes before he enters free agency on July 1.

“In their pursuit of a top-six winger, Jake Guentzel has consistently been a target for the Vancouver Canucks,” Kuzma wrote. “However, securing the pending unrestricted free agent was expected to be a complex task.

now there’s clarity. The Carolina Hurricanes are open to accepting a mid-round draft pick for the rights to negotiate with Guentzel before the July 1 free agency, as he seems poised for the open market.”

With Elliotte Friedman revealing the acquisition cost on June 7, Kuzma anticipates that Vancouver will be a strong contender to acquire Guentzel through a sign-and-trade deal.

“It seems he’s available for a mid-round pick,” Friedman stated on the 32 Thoughts podcast. “Carolina has informed everyone that a trade for his rights can be done for a mid-round pick.”

Friedman’s report indicates that the Hurricanes are willing to part with pending free agent Guentzel for the reasonable price of a mid-round draft pick.

Guentzel joined the Hurricanes in a trade-deadline deal on March 8 and completed his contract with a $6 million salary in 2024. The New York Rangers eliminated the Canes from the playoffs, ending Guentzel’s stint in Carolina.