"I want what Dubas was smoking": Pens fans react to Jake Guentzel's trade to Carolina Hurricanes

Jake Guentzel's trade saga, spanning months, came to an end on Thursday night as the Pittsburgh Penguins traded the 29-year-old winger to the Carolina Hurricanes.

As part of the trade package, the Pens received forward Michael Bunting and two forward prospects, Vasily Ponormarev and Ville Koivunen, along with the rights to forward Cruz Lucius.

The trade also includes a conditional first-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes received defenseman Ty Smith in the deal.

Interestingly, the Penguins will retain 25% salary of Jake Guentzel's contract. The first-round selection will become a second-round selection if the Hurricanes fail to advance to the Stanley Cup final.

Moreover, the Penguins will receive the fifth-round pick only if Carolina wins the Cup.

Here's how Pittsburgh Penguins fans reacted to Jake Guentzel's trade. One tweeted:

"I want what Dubas was smoking"

Another chimed in:

"Lmao Dubas got absolutely FLEECED"

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

The Hurricanes have been consistent contenders but have struggled to advance to the next level in the playoffs. However, the acquisition of Guentzel has brought much-needed finishing talent to their forward line.

It will be intriguing to see how Jake Guentzel fares for Carolina who seek their second Stanley Cup.

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What Carolina Hurricanes GM said about Jake Guentzel and Ty Smith trade

The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 on Thursday night.

The win allowed Carolina to close the gap to two points with the first-placed New York Rangers (84) points in the Metro Division,

Hurricanes GM Don Waddell said about the addition of Jake Guentzel and Ty Smith from the Pittsburgh Penguins (via NHL.com):

"Jake is an elite goal-scorer and playmaker who has produced at a high level for his entire NHL career,” Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said. “Ty is a young, offensive-minded defenseman who will provide us with another reliable option on the blue line.

"We’re thrilled to bolster our lineup as we compete to bring the Stanley Cup back to Raleigh.”

Guentzel, 29, is in the final year of a $30 million contract signed with the Pens in Dec. 2018. The deal has an AAV of $6 million and expires after this season.

This season, the 29-year-old winger has been in great from, accumulating 52 points through 22 goals and 20 assists in 50 games.

However, he has been sidelined since Feb. 14 due to an upper-body injury. Guentzel is eligible to come off long-term injured reserve on Sunday.