Sekeres and Price: Patrick Johnston when asked if the Vancouver Canucks would be interested in Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel and if there would be interest in Andrei Kuzmenko.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Sekeres: “Rutherford, Allvin, they’ve done so much shopping from Pittsburgh already. Are they going to go to that well again on (Jake) Guentzel.”
Johnston: “The Pittsburgh, the deep Pittsburgh well. Sure, absolutely possible. I noticed this the, I noticed this the other day, absolutely. Player you know.
I think it’s still challenging. I think the Penguins aren’t I mean, they they pulled themselves into a decent spot. Like obviously it’s a dogfight. They’ve won a bunch, there plus 15 in goals for against. Like that, that’s not anything to sniff at.”
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Price: “Good indicator. Yep.”
Johnston: “Right, they’re playing really well defensively. If things go really sideways, yeah, sure. I just I have a hard time seeing them, unless there’s something coming back, that makes the team better. And Jake Guentzel is pretty great.”
Sekeres: “Ya, no, he is. So, let’s get into it then.”
Johnston: “Yeah.”
Sekeres: “Kuzmenko. Hoglander.”
Johnston: “I don’t think there’d be any interest in Kuzmenko.”
Sekeres: “No.”
Johnston: “I don’t think he’s a player that Kyle Dubis is interested in.”
Sekeres: “Okay.”
Johnston: “Since way back. This goes way back to when they were first chasing, you know, when he was first coming over. This was just not a player that fits what the, what, that, what he wants. And I don’t think I don’t think he’d actually, as weird as it sounds, like what is it going to add, if Guentzel on the move, sure, great, maybe, but he’s a downgrade from Guentzel. I just don’t think he’s a player they’re interested in.”
Price: “He’d be a placeholder.”
Sekeres: ” I mean, theoretically, he would replace some of the Guentzel offense, because he has that sort of player.”
Johnston: “Yeah.”
Sekeres: “and needless to say, you know, I think…”
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Johnston: “He’s a finisher but I, Guentzel’s, Guentzel, I mean you can see why Rick Tocchet would want to get like Jake Guentzel, right? Like he’s a guy who gets on the puck and gets it done. And we’ve heard the frustrations he had with Andrei Kuzmenko. Guentzel is a very different player in that regard. SoI just, it, I don’t think unless there’s some extra thing and he’s a throw in, I just don’t see him being player that Kyle Dubas is interested in.”
Sekeres: “Well, of course he would help balance salaries as well.”