Penguins Predicted to Trade Rickard Rakell to East Rival

As the Pittsburgh Penguins look around the NHL for trade options regarding a few veteran players, it seems that a deal could come sooner rather than later. One player that has drawn all sorts of interest is veteran Rickard Rakell.

With Pittsburgh wanting to get younger, Rakell has been put on the trade block. The Penguins have been talking with a few teams, and Rakell could net this team some strong future assets.

NHL writer Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report listed a few landing spots for the Penguins star, with the Carolina Hurricanes being one of them. Carolina has put together a strong offseason so far, but adding Rakell to the mix could be the cherry on top.

"The Carolina Hurricanes have already had a bold offseason by signing forward Nikolaj Ehlers in free agency and trading for defenseman K'Andre Miller. Both moves are significant and add to an already strong team.

"But why stop there? Especially when they are still swimming in salary-cap space due to how many team-friendly contracts they have on their roster," Gretz wrote.

With the Hurricanes looking to finally get over the hump in the Eastern Conference, this could be one way to help. Rakell remains a strong scoring option on the ice, and he could make this team even more formidable.

Last season with Pittsburgh, Rakell put up 35 goals and 35 assists. The veteran proved that he could still be a valuable piece to a winning puzzle, and the Hurricanes could use his skill set.

Adding a player like Rakell this late in the offseason could be a steal for the Hurricanes, and this could bolster the depth across the roster. Carolina is all-in on going after a Stanley Cup title next season, and Rakell could be the missing piece.