Honour Over Glory
Blomqvist for Vezina + ROTY
- Jan 30, 2012
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He signed for 500k more of a cap hit and 1yr extra in Tampa. So if that term was the issue, I doubt it wouldn't have been matched.He also easily could have wanted to re-sign in Pittsburgh for less than he signed for elsewhere, but chose to sign with the highest bidder when it boiled down to teams he had absolutely no history or connection to.
We don't know definitively either way. But we do know that he would've preferred to stay in Pittsburgh, all things being equal.
The issue is you forget what was reported.
“My understanding is that Guentzel is comfortable waiting this out. He wants to understand and have a clearer picture as to what the future, both short- and long-term, of the Pittsburgh Penguins is going to be if he does sign a long-term extension with the club, be it a six-, seven-, eight-year deal.” - Drew Pagnotta
This is what you keep forgetting. Jake's camp saying that and the no negotiations during the season in January was clear, Jake saw the writing on the wall for this team and wanted to test the market and was always going to from that moment on. Because a clearer picture for the Penguins future is rebuild, keep a coach that isn't working that holds all the power, and an aging core that the coach keeps older by playing vets over youth.