PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins may have walked out of their contest against the Montreal Canadiens with a win, but that doesn’t mean their season is back on track. President and general manager Kyle Dubas recently stated that teams have contacted him about multiple players on the Penguins roster as the trade deadline closes in.
While Dubas did not state a name directly, it is being reported that Rickard Rakell is among the Penguins available. Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period wrote recently that Jake Guentzel has shot to the top of his trade board and was joined by a couple of other Penguins’ forwards.
“Guentzel is a prized possession. Several teams would love to get their hands on him,” Pagnotta said. “Reilly Smith is out there. I believe Rickard Rakell is also available.”
Smith has been mentioned on trade boards before, and his name has started to become more frequent in recent weeks, but Rakell is a completely new option. Rakell hasn’t been at his best this season and would be an early piece to fall if the Penguins are heading toward a teardown.
In 42 games played, Rakell has picked up only five goals and 16 assists. Each of those five goals came in an eight-game span after he returned from an injury. It’s been 15 games since he found the back of the net.
In 2022-23, Rakell was one of the most consistent Penguins scorers. In 82 games, he notched 28, including 11 on the power play. For whatever reason, the mojo hasn’t been there for Rakell, and putting him back on the first line hasn’t done much for him.
The Penguins still aren’t sure of a direction, but Rakell might be an early trade in the event of a sale.
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