Penguins A to Z: Jake Guentzel remains a 40-goal scorer

As the NHL prepares for a new season expected to start in mid-January, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 48 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.

Jake Guentzel

Position: Left winger

Shoots: Left

Age: 26

Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 180 pounds

2019-20 NHL statistics: 39 games, 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists)

Contract: Second year of a five-year contract with a salary cap hit of $6 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2024

Acquired: Third-round draft pick (No. 77 overall), June 30, 2013

This season: Jake Guentzel was well on his way toward breaking a scoring streak for the Penguins before he suffered a serious shoulder injury just prior to the calendar flipped to 2020.

Not necessarily a scoring streak in the traditional sense.

But a scoring streak nonetheless.

Had Guentzel stayed healthy and continued to produce at the torrid rate he had established, he would have been the first player other than Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin to lead the Penguins in scoring since defenseman Dick Tarnstrom paced the putrid 2003-04 edition of the club with 52 points.

But the aforementioned shoulder injury Guentzel suffered Dec. 30 ended that pursuit. Guentzel underwent surgery a few hours later and was presumed to be lost for the remainder of the season.

Except the season was interrupted March 12 when the NHL went into stasis due to the coronavirus pandemic and did not resume until Aug. 1 with a postseason tournament.

That pause afforded Guentzel enough time to recuperate and reclaim his place on the team’s top line as Crosby’s left winger.

Guentzel appeared to be fine physically and displayed few signs of rust during the Penguins’ brief four-game playoff run as he picked up three points (one goal, two assists) before being eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens in the preliminary round.

The future: Were it not for his shoulder injury or the fact the 2020-21 campaign will have a shorter, condensed schedule, Guentzel might be midway through his third consecutive 40-goal season at this moment.

The ideal complementary linemate to the highly demanding Crosby, Guentzel reads the ice at a level similar to the Penguins captain and just knows where to find open ice in situations that allow him to collect goals. The return of the talented Kasperi Kapanen — who will likely serve as the right winger and lead forechecker on that line — can only amplify the damage Crosby and Guetzel are capable of inflicting on opposing goaltenders and their save percentages.

While he’ll likely be welded onto Crosby as long as each is able-bodied, Guentzel dispelled any notion that he was simply a product of playing with Crosby last season as he continued to excel during Crosby’s own long-term absence due to a core muscle injury. Admittedly, he was lined up with Malkin, certainly no dullard, during that stretch, but Guentzel showed he was capable of producing with someone other than Crosby should circumstances dictate they be separated.

Additionally, he has become the team’s top net-front presence on the power play. While former teammate Patric Hornqvist excelled in that role through chaos, Guentzel has been successful more through calculation with re-directions or well-timed screens.

Whenever the 2020-21 season opens, Guentzel will reclaim each of those roles and will once again be a “40-goal scorer,” even if he doesn’t literally score 40 goals.

Follow the Penguins all season long.