Guentzel, who spent his first eight NHL seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, playing alongside stars in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin & Kris Letang, was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline.
Guentzel, who won a Stanley Cup in 2017 and a two-time NHL all-star, was a top line Center for Carolina, with 8 goals and 25 points in 17 games, along with 9 points in 11 playoff games.
The Lightning cleared cap space at the draft, trading defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club and forward Tanner Jeannot to the Los Angeles Kings during the 2024 NHL Draft, clearing just over $11M in cap space for Tampa.
Guentzel, 29 had 30 goals, 47 assists & 77 points in 67 games this season for the Penguins and Hurricanes.