The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that they’ve signed 21-year old Jake Guentzel to an amateur tryout contract. The news was originally reported via Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins via Twitter.
The Penguins have signed Pittsburgh draft pick Jake Guentzel to an amateur tryout contract: https://t.co/ppBQpDX5cN pic.twitter.com/uaLQ8dKYyn
— WBS Penguins (@WBSPenguins) March 22, 2016
Guentzel was drafted in the third round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and has played college hockey at the University of Nebraska-Omaha for the past three seasons. The scouting report on Guentzel, according to Hockey’s Future is below…
Guentzel is an undersized, yet highly skilled forward who possesses a hockey IQ. The biggest knock on him has been his size, but Guentzel possesses the requisite skill, speed, and grit to play a top-nine role in the NHL. He is a particularly effective player off the rush, and uses his speed and vision to create offensive plays. He will need to add considerable strength before he gets to the point where he can contribute to the NHL level, but he has the skill and hockey sense to one day make an impact.
Guentzel will finish the season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, joining the Penguins’ AHL affiliate for their postseason push. Signing his amateur tryout contract means he has waived his college eligibility.
Jake Guentzel Feature Via Vimeo
Jake Guentzel from Greg Grosse on Vimeo.
Through 108 games-played at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Guentzel piled up 40 goals and 119 points for an average of 1.1 points-per game.
