TAMPA — There's no way to replace a player who meant as much to the Tampa Bay fan base as former Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.
When Stamkos signed with the Nashville Predators, it was up to the Lightning front office to replace his offensive firepower. General manager Julien BriseBois acquired the rights to Carolina forward Jake Guentzel and signed him to a seven-year contract worth $63 million.
Guentzel spent the first seven and a half seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins before they traded him to Carolina this season. He tallied 30 goals and 47 assists in 67 games this season. He knows the situation he's stepping into, but he said he doesn't feel the pressure of following a future Hall of Famer.
"This hockey game, there’s going to be pressure wherever you play," he said via video chat. "So I feel like you just gotta make sure you make the most of the opportunity."
The $63 million is the largest salary the Lightning have ever paid in free agency, and Guentzel wants the fans to know he'll do everything he can to ensure Tampa Bay gets a good return on their investment.
"I’m just a really competitive guy. I’m not the biggest guy out there. But I’m going to try and do everything in my power to get to the front of the net, go to the hard areas and make some plays," the 29-year-old said. "I like to have fun, like to smile. But I’m just really competitive when it comes to the nature of the game. That’s just kinda what I’m about. Have fun on the ice, and when it’s time to bring it, you go."
Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois described Guentzel as "a Bolt who happened to not play for the Bolts in the past." He thinks that's why his new addition is a perfect fit.
"Highly competitive. High hockey IQ. High level of skill. Makes plays. Competes all over the ice," BriseBois said as he described Guentzel's style of play. "Makes plays all over the ice, has the ability to finish. Big-game player."
In Pittsburgh, Guentzel played alongside another future Hall of Famer, Sydney Crosby. They won a Stanley Cup together in 2017. Now, Jake gets to join forces with two more elite players, Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point.
"They’re obviously really high-skill players. They obviously can score a lot of goals. Make a lot of plays," Guentzal explained. "If that comes about where I’m playing with them, I’m really excited. Just to try to get open for them and get them the puck as much as possible."
Despite back-to-back first-round playoff exits, Tampa Bay still has a reputation as a team that expects to win a championship every season, and that's something Guentzel's excited to be part of.
"This league’s hard to win in. It’s tough to get past the first round, second round. It’s a hard league to win. You’re not gonna do it every year," he added. "So the opportunity to do it with these guys… hopefully the chance to make the playoffs, first, then go from there and see what happens after that."
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