PHN Extra: Jake Guentzel Report Card — April Wakeup Call

Pittsburgh Penguins left winger Jake Guentzel drew the cherry assignment of rolling with Sidney Crosby. In the playoffs, Guentzel was a scoring machine, as he and Crosby effectively were the Penguins offense during the Penguins Round 2 loss to the Washington Capitals. Unfortunately for the Penguins, the sophomore skater Guentzel was often a liability and played well below his talent level during the regular season.

His name even appeared in mid-season trade rumors as the Penguins searched for a third line center upgrade to Riley Sheahan.

Guentzel finished the year with 48 points (22g, 26a) but 23 of those points (7g, 16a) came in the final 30 games. He scored just 25 points in the first 52 games.

Using the NaturalStattrick.com line tool, Guentzel played more than three times as often with Crosby than any other center but did not yield positive results. When Guentzel was paired with Crosby, they drove puck possession (56 percent) and scoring chances (53 percent). They also produced fewer goals than they scored (21-28).

Yikes.