NHL Rumors: Elliotte Friedman claims Western Conference contenders in the mix for Hurricanes' $30,000,000 star

Carolina Hurricanes forward Jake Guentzel is expected to hit free agency on July 1. In a recent episode of The Jeff Marek Show, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman stirred up the rumor mill with revelations about potential moves involving Guentzel.

Friedman hinted that Western Conference contenders, particularly the Dallas Stars, are showing interest in acquiring the high-scoring forward.

"I also suspect that Dallas is one of the teams looking around Jake Guentzel," Friedman said. "There seems to be some growing momentum between Guentzel and Carolina. We'll see where that ends up. But I do believe Dallas is involved. Their secondary scoring dried up against the Oilers, and it's one of the major reasons they lost."

Guentzel, who signed a five-year, $30,000,000 contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 27, 2018, was traded to the Canes at this year's trade deadline on March 8.

The 29-year-old forward had a productive season, tallying 77 points (30 goals, 47 assists) in 67 regular-season games split between the Hurricanes and the Penguins.

After the trade, he continued his strong performance with 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 17 games for the Canes and added nine points (four goals, five assists) in 11 playoff games.

He was first selected by Pittsburgh in the third round (No. 77) of the 2013 NHL draft. Guentzel has scored 491 points (227 goals, 264 assists) in 520 regular-season games for the Hurricanes and the Penguins.

He also boasts of an impressive playoff résumé with 67 points (38 goals, 29 assists) in 69 games, including a Stanley Cup victory with the Penguins in 2017.

Rumor around Carolina Hurricanes' talks with winger Jake Guentzel

The Carolina Hurricanes are in talks with winger Jake Guentzel ahead of NHL free agency, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

"Carolina hasn’t given up on trying to sign Jake Guentzel. Talks ongoing. My sense is it’s going to be hard for him not to see what’s out there Monday, but ‘Canes still trying," LeBrun posted on X.

Guentzel is expected to seek a raise from his previous $6 million AAV deal, with potential offers exceeding $8 million per year. Despite expressing a desire to stay long-term in Raleigh, Guentzel might explore free agency due to the Canes' cap constraints. This is because they must also consider re-signing Teuvo Teravainen, Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei.