University of Nebraska-Omaha forward Jake Guentzel -- Pittsburgh’s third-round pick at the 2013 draft -- has opted against returning to school for his final season, opting instead to sign an AHL amateur tryout contract with the Pens’ affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Guentzel, 21, finished 11th in the country in scoring this season, tied with Hobey Baker candidate Jimmy Vesey (among others) on 46 points. He also captained UNO this season and, last year, led the Mavericks to their first ever berth in the NCAA Frozen Four.
By signing an AHL ATO, Guentzel can start playing professional hockey immediately, without having to “burn” a year of any entry-level contract (which he’s yet to sign). It does sound as though an ELC could be on the horizon:
Congrats to newest client Jake Guentzel @Jakenbake20 on great career at @UNO_Hockey. Tuff to leave but great future ahead w/ @Penguins #NHL!
— Ben Hankinson (@BenHankinson) March 22, 2016
A diminutive skater -- listed at just 5-foot-10, 170 pounds -- it’ll be interesting to see how Guentzel adapts to the professional game. Pittsburgh has received a boost from NCAA products this year, as the likes of Bryan Rust (Notre Dame), Scott Wilson (UMass-Lowell) and Conor Sheary (UMass-Amherst) have all been nice additions to the lineup.