Penguins lock up Guentzel with 5-year, $30M extension

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Jake Guentzel to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $6 million, the club announced Thursday.

The deal includes a partial no-trade clause in the final two years, during which Guentzel can submit a 12-team no-trade list, according to TVA's Renaud Lavoie.

The 24-year-old Guentzel is enjoying a breakout season with 15 goals and 33 points in 36 games while averaging a career-high 18:41 of ice time per night. He was set to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of this campaign.

"Jake established himself as an impact player for our team from the beginning, especially during 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "He has become a core player on the team and we are thrilled to get Jake signed long-term with the Penguins."

In his short career, Guentzel's established himself as a clutch playoff performer with 23 goals and 42 points across 37 postseason contests. He helped Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup in the 2016-17 campaign.

Based on the additional $6-million cap hit of Guentzel's contract, the Penguins are now projected to enter the upcoming offseason boasting just $5.13 million in cap space with six unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents, according to CapFriendly.

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