This Tampa Bay Lightning forward views his new club in a very high manner.
Back in June, the Tampa Bay Lightning traded their 2025 third-round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes to acquire Jake Guentzel's signing rights. In the end, the gamble paid off, as they signed Guentzel to a seven-year, $63 million contract shortly after. Now, he is set to be a crucial part of the Lightning's core for several years to come.
On Wednesday, Guentzel talked with reporters for the Lightning's media day. When asked about the organization, Guentzel had nothing but positive things to say, as relayed by Gabby Shirley:
"A lot of high end players, an unbelievable coaching staff, and I have heard unbelievable things about the team and the organization. A lot of people want to come play here because, obviously, it's a winning culture."
It is easy to understand why Guentzel views the Lightning in such a positive manner. They have been one of the NHL's best teams over the last several seasons, as their Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 demonstrate. In addition, Jon Cooper is a top-tier coach.
Given the Lightning's success in recent seasons, it is very easy to agree with Guentzel's opinion about the club's winning culture. Guentzel, who won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017, should fit well into their system because of it.
Now, it will be fun to see how much of an impact Guentzel makes with the Lightning. He is expected to play on their top line with superstars Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, so it is possible that we could see Guentzel hit a new level offensively.
