The Penguins' executives hired the former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas to be their new President and after pulling massive moves to bring one of the game's top player, things just haven't gone the right way. Erik Karlsson joined the Pens with hopes of having another deep playoff run, but everything points toward the Pens going into a fire sale and the Canucks could be one of the benefactors from such an outcome.
The two time Stanley Cup winner Jake Guentzel is bound to be an unrestricted free agent by the end of the season and the extension talks have obviously begun. The Pens submitted a first offer to their star winger, but judging at how big the offer was and the cap room the Pens have to work with, they may have no other choice but to move him.
Sitting 6 points short of a playoff spot, and with no indication that a positive ending is imminent to the contract negociations, Jake Guentzel is getting closer, by the day, to a trade out of Pittsburgh. With his enormous ask, even if the Canucks did acquire his services, Guentzel would likely wind up being a rental.