Rangers Rumors: Huge Trade Offer Made for Penguins Jake Guentzel

The New York Rangers are trying to make a big splash ahead of the trade deadline and the latest rumors have them making a huge trade offer for Pittsburgh Penguins sniper Jake Guentzel.

Guentzel is the best forward available on the trade market after Kyle Dubas made it loud and clear he'd be moving out his prolific scorer with the team struggling. The Rangers have reportedly offered Kaapo Kakko and a first-round pick.

Report: David Pagnotta NHL Network insider says on @937thefan that the Penguins and Rangers Jake Guentzel trade talks have "intensified".

NY's 1st round pick AND Kaapo Kakko could BOTH be in the deal.

Kakko is 23 and scored 40 pts last season. Former #2 overall pick.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) March 7, 2024

New York only has $2.9 million in deadline cap space to work with so there's going to need to be a third-party team involved to retain some of Guentzel's salary. The Pens forward is owed $6 million for the rest of this season.

Guentzel's just getting back from an upper-body injury and hit the ice for practice today with his current, about to be former teammates. There's a sense of unease in Pittsburgh as Dubas tried to go for it as soon as he was hired, and the Erik Karlsson trade is back-firing in a major way for the Penguins executive.

The Rangers missed out on Adam Henrique and then have quickly turned their attention to an even better player in Guentzel, which could be because the Carolina Hurricanes are trying hard to make a deal with Dubas as well.

Jake Guentzel has rejoined Penguins morning skate in a ‘regular’ contact jersey 👀

(via @DanPotashTV, h/t @PensInsideScoop) pic.twitter.com/BOgXXExqWY
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 7, 2024