"I think we definitely lost some big pieces, but it hasn't been a complete overhaul," Guentzel said. "Those guys were great leaders and I learned a lot from them and I am happy I had the chance to be their teammate. … But we have to move forward with the team we have and hope we can continue on the success we've built."
Guentzel, 22, scored twice in his NHL debut against the New York Rangers on Nov. 21, and had 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists) in 40 games last season. He led the League with 13 goals during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and had 21 points, which tied forward Dino Ciccarelli of the 1981 Minnesota North Stars and Ville Leino of the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers for the rookie playoff record.
"I definitely had a good year, our entire team did, but you've got to move past it," Guentzel said. "For me in particular, I know I've really got to work hard because I know it's going to be even tougher next year. So I've been working hard, skating a lot, and I'm looking forward to getting into [training] camp to continue to work toward the season."
Guentzel said he can sense the pressure on him and the Penguins, but prefers to use it as motivation heading into this season.
"You realize how hard it was for us to get two [Cup titles], and you know everyone's going to be coming for us, but I think it just drives us," Guentzel said. "If you want to win, you want to be in that situation where everyone is gunning for you. They are gunning for you because they know you're the team to beat. That's a position we want to be in. It's going to be fun."
