Kyle Dubas Claps Back at Jake Guentzel Explaining Trade Reasoning

Pittsburgh Penguins President/GM Kyle Dubas, like everyone else, heard loud and clear from Jake Guentzel this week that he was not happy being traded. Guentzel wanted to stick around Pittsburgh the rest of his career and was fully intended to re-sign with the hockey club, however Dubas had other ideas.

"My intention was to stay. They thought there was a better direction."

Jake Guentzel on being traded from the Penguins. pic.twitter.com/lVxjEZ1ZSF
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 27, 2024

Dubas appeared on the Mark Madden radio show and had this to say in response to Guentzel's comments:

Jake’s entitled to his opinion and has earned the right, especially in this market, to give his opinion. What I would say is, my hope going into the year is that everything would go to the most optimistic viewpoint. That would dictate the decision-making differently than it did. I’m sorry that it ended up being Jake as the one whos contract was up at that time. Do you wish it wasn’t Jake? Of course. Especially right after a game. Competitors like Jake are emotional. He’s entitled to feel how he feels, and I don’t take any umbrage with that at all.

Dubas went on to mention he was going to be patient working on extensions with anyone, Guentzel included and once the team was out of the playoff race, it never made sense to work on an extension.

Needless to say, Penguins fans are pretty pissed off with how things have gone in Dubas' first season.

Jake Guentzel and his family are emotional as he receives a standing ovation in his return to Pittsburgh 🥹 pic.twitter.com/oKNtOwJSd1
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 26, 2024