3 reasons why the Canucks must trade for Jake Guentzel at the deadline

Guentzel’s defensive game is something the Canucks could use

While Jake Guentzel is by no means a serious candidate for the Selke, his game also isn’t purely based around offense. It hasn’t emerged this season, but Guentzel has shown us in the past that he’s not afraid to play a hard-hitting game, something that was especially true early in his career. 

But even as late as the 2023-24 season, Guentzel gave us 83 hits and 44 takeaways, and such play on defense is something the Canucks can use in the light of recent events. While Vancouver allowed just two goals against a sound Boston Bruins team to snap a four-game losing streak, they also allowed 22 goals during that four-game skid, averaging to 5.5 per game. 

One more player who can at least give them solid defense would work wonders, and Guentzel has proven that can be the case with his game. If he can regain some of that physicality we saw re-emerge last season and get more sticks on the puck, it will make life much easier for those in Vancouver when they do slip up in the defensive zone. 

Guentzel isn’t giving anyone a major boost defensively, but he’s shown enough throughout his time in Pittsburgh that he can be disruptive.