At the NHL trade deadline in 2024, the Pittsburgh Penguins took their first major step in shifting toward a rebuild when they dealt their best winger, Jake Guentzel, to the Carolina Hurricanes.
It was a decision that weighed heavily at the time, and there was a lot of pushback once the final trade details were announced.
But one year later, things might not be looking so bad after all.
So, let’s revisit the trade – and whether or not the Penguins may actually come out on top of it.
The full trade
Carolina Hurricanes get:
– F Jake Guentzel
– D Ty Smith
Pittsburgh Penguins get:
– F Michael Bunting
– F Ville Koivunen
– F Vasily Ponomarev
– F Cruz Lucius
– Conditional 2024 first-round pick
– Conditional 2024 fifth-round pick
Bunting was traded to the Nashville Predators at the 2025 trade deadline for defenseman Luke Schenn and forward Tommy Novak. Schenn was then flipped to the Winnipeg Jets for a second-round pick.
The conditions were not met for the 2024 fifth-round pick.
Will the Penguins end up winners in the trade?
More than one year later, it’s interesting to see how this trade has panned out. Guentzel did not end up remaining with the Hurricanes, as his UFA rights were traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he signed a seven-year, $63 million contract extension. The 30-year-old winger registered 41 goals and 80 points in 80 games this season with the Lightning.
Yes, Guentzel is one of the game’s elite wingers, and there are many who posit that he should have returned a sure first-rounder when the Penguins dealt him.
Maybe that’s true to an extent. But given what both Koivunen and Brunicke – who, by several different accounts, may have gone in the first round if not for an injury during his draft year – have shown in short sample sizes over the course of this season, it’s hard not to have some hindsight bias and like the early returns on the trade.
Koivunen, 21, was one of the AHL’s top rookies this season, recording 21 goals and 56 points in 63 games to finish third in rookie scoring. At the time of his call-up, Koivunen led all rookies in scoring and was top-three in goals.
And his call-up proved impressive, too. Seeing playing time alongside both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, Koivunen ended the season on a five-game point streak and had seven points in his first eight NHL games – which is the most points by a Penguins’ rookie in their first eight games since Guentzel in 2017.
But Koivunen’s hockey sense, offensive zone smarts, and playmaking acumen were what stood out most, as the details in his game are more advanced than expected at this point. He meshed beautifully with Crosby, especially, and his smarts are a bit remniscent of Guentzel in some ways.
As far as Brunicke, he had an impressive training camp with the Penguins that nearly earned him a nine-game trial run as an 18-year-old. He fractured his hand during his junior season with the Kamloops Blazers and missed two months of action, but he still managed to produce five goals and 30 points in 41 games.
Brunicke got the call to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) – Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate – a few weeks ago. And while there was a bit of a learning curve in terms of getting up-to-speed and decision-making, he has seen a lot of growth over the course of his 10 games at the AHL level.
He has spent most of his time on a second pairing with Filip Kral, and he has two points and 18 penalty minutes and is a minus-4 in those 10 games. He is starting to make better reads, his decision-making is improving, and he’s using his biggest strength – his skating – to his advantage to beat opponents in all three zones.
Even when looking at just Koivunen and Brunicke, the Penguins have legitimate top-six and top-four potential in them – perhaps even top-line and top-pairing potential. Of course, that’s the ceiling for those players, but it’s looking more and more like a tangible possibility because they are ahead of the development curve and haven’t looked a step out of place against NHL competition.
When watching those two players, it’s easy to separate them from their peers. The fact that Koivunen was nearly point-per-game in his first taste of the NHL and that Brunicke has well-exceeded expectations already, it’s fair to wonder whether or not the Penguins might actually come out on top of this one.
If Koivunen does hit his peak potential as a top-line winger? If Brunicke does reach his ceiling as a top-pairing defenseman? If Novak can be a serviceable third-line center? If Ponomarev can be a really solid fourth-line center? If Lucius can even be an option as an AHL call-up for the Penguins?
Yes, that’s a lot of “ifs,” but the picture is coming more into focus. And it’s looking more and more like the Penguins may have, at least, two crucial parts of their future because of this trade, and, at most, two stars in the making.
If either ends up happening? That’s not so bad. Not bad at all, actually.
Guentzel is one of the best wingers in Penguins’ history, and he was probably Crosby’s greatest winger. Nothing can replace that. But the decision to trade him may just end up turning out far more than okay for the Penguins.
Time will only tell how these prospects – and Novak – pan out. But, as of now, the future looks a whole lot brighter than it did just one year ago on March 8.
Bookmark THN – Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
At the NHL trade deadline in 2024, the Pittsburgh Penguins took their first major step in shifting toward a rebuild when they dealt their best winger, Jake Guentzel, to the Carolina Hurricanes.
It was a decision that weighed heavily at the time, and there was a lot of pushback once the final trade details were announced.
But one year later, things might not be looking so bad after all.
So, let’s revisit the trade – and whether or not the Penguins may actually come out on top of it.
The full trade
Carolina Hurricanes get:
– F Jake Guentzel
– D Ty Smith
Pittsburgh Penguins get:
– F Michael Bunting
– F Ville Koivunen
– F Vasily Ponomarev
– F Cruz Lucius
– Conditional 2024 first-round pick
– Conditional 2024 fifth-round pick
Bunting was traded to the Nashville Predators at the 2025 trade deadline for defenseman Luke Schenn and forward Tommy Novak. Schenn was then flipped to the Winnipeg Jets for a second-round pick.
The conditions were not met for the 2024 fifth-round pick.
Will the Penguins end up winners in the trade?
More than one year later, it’s interesting to see how this trade has panned out. Guentzel did not end up remaining with the Hurricanes, as his UFA rights were traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he signed a seven-year, $63 million contract extension. The 30-year-old winger registered 41 goals and 80 points in 80 games this season with the Lightning.
Yes, Guentzel is one of the game’s elite wingers, and there are many who posit that he should have returned a sure first-rounder when the Penguins dealt him.
Maybe that’s true to an extent. But given what both Koivunen and Brunicke – who, by several different accounts, may have gone in the first round if not for an injury during his draft year – have shown in short sample sizes over the course of this season, it’s hard not to have some hindsight bias and like the early returns on the trade.
Koivunen, 21, was one of the AHL’s top rookies this season, recording 21 goals and 56 points in 63 games to finish third in rookie scoring. At the time of his call-up, Koivunen led all rookies in scoring and was top-three in goals.
And his call-up proved impressive, too. Seeing playing time alongside both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, Koivunen ended the season on a five-game point streak and had seven points in his first eight NHL games – which is the most points by a Penguins’ rookie in their first eight games since Guentzel in 2017.
But Koivunen’s hockey sense, offensive zone smarts, and playmaking acumen were what stood out most, as the details in his game are more advanced than expected at this point. He meshed beautifully with Crosby, especially, and his smarts are a bit remniscent of Guentzel in some ways.
As far as Brunicke, he had an impressive training camp with the Penguins that nearly earned him a nine-game trial run as an 18-year-old. He fractured his hand during his junior season with the Kamloops Blazers and missed two months of action, but he still managed to produce five goals and 30 points in 41 games.
Brunicke got the call to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) – Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate – a few weeks ago. And while there was a bit of a learning curve in terms of getting up-to-speed and decision-making, he has seen a lot of growth over the course of his 10 games at the AHL level.
He has spent most of his time on a second pairing with Filip Kral, and he has two points and 18 penalty minutes and is a minus-4 in those 10 games. He is starting to make better reads, his decision-making is improving, and he’s using his biggest strength – his skating – to his advantage to beat opponents in all three zones.
Even when looking at just Koivunen and Brunicke, the Penguins have legitimate top-six and top-four potential in them – perhaps even top-line and top-pairing potential. Of course, that’s the ceiling for those players, but it’s looking more and more like a tangible possibility because they are ahead of the development curve and haven’t looked a step out of place against NHL competition.
When watching those two players, it’s easy to separate them from their peers. The fact that Koivunen was nearly point-per-game in his first taste of the NHL and that Brunicke has well-exceeded expectations already, it’s fair to wonder whether or not the Penguins might actually come out on top of this one.
If Koivunen does hit his peak potential as a top-line winger? If Brunicke does reach his ceiling as a top-pairing defenseman? If Novak can be a serviceable third-line center? If Ponomarev can be a really solid fourth-line center? If Lucius can even be an option as an AHL call-up for the Penguins?
Yes, that’s a lot of “ifs,” but the picture is coming more into focus. And it’s looking more and more like the Penguins may have, at least, two crucial parts of their future because of this trade, and, at most, two stars in the making.
If either ends up happening? That’s not so bad. Not bad at all, actually.
Guentzel is one of the best wingers in Penguins’ history, and he was probably Crosby’s greatest winger. Nothing can replace that. But the decision to trade him may just end up turning out far more than okay for the Penguins.
Time will only tell how these prospects – and Novak – pan out. But, as of now, the future looks a whole lot brighter than it did just one year ago on March 8.
Bookmark THN – Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
