NHL Rumors: Pittsburgh Penguins – Jake Guentzel, Kyle Dubas, and the Idea of a Rebuid

Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Jake Guentzel had hoped to be able to remain with the Pittsburgh Penguins but team wanted to go a different direction. GM Kyle Dubas said at the trade deadline that he hadn’t had serious contract talks with Guentzel’s camp since last offseason.

“My intention was to stay, but they just thought there was a better direction, to go a different way,” said Guentzel. “And it was out of my hands, so it was not my choice.”

Guentzel wouldn’t answer any further questions about his future, if he’d consider re-signing with the Penguins.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas on 105.9 The X on Mark Madden’s show comments on Guentzel’s take.

“He’s entitled to his opinion, especially in this market, to give his opinion,” Dubas said. “What I would say is that going into this year, I hoped that everything would go to the most optimistic viewpoint, we would be a contending team, and that would dictate decision-making differently than it did.

“I’m sorry that it ended up being Jake as the one whose contract was up at that time … that’s how he feels about it. Especially right after a game, competitors like Jake are emotional. He’s entitled to feel how he feels, and I don’t take umbrage at all.”

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas when asked about a rebuild and blowing it all up.

“It’s not something that I think about. There could come a time when that hits you in the face, but my view of it (is) rather than focus on that, it’s trying to focus on ‘how can we accomplish everything that we need in the short run and the long run?’ Though I don’t push back on the notion that it’s a tall order (to win and rebuild simultaneously),” said Dubas. “So I don’t hide from that or think it’s incorrect, but my hope is that we don’t get to that point (of a full-scale rebuild).”