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Two Canadian Teams Linked to Penguins 30-Goal Scorers

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 11:30 AM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets have been linked to both Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell of the Pittsburgh Penguins, per Matt Larkin and Tyler Yaremchuk.

Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving is under pressure to fill Mitch Marner's void, whose departure left a massive gap in the team's top-six.

With big deals having slipped away from the Leafs so far this off-season, insider Frank Seravalli reports the front office is in panic mode to fill the void.

One solution? The Pittsburgh Penguins. Tyler Yaremchuk and Matt Larkin broke down on Daily Faceoff Live how the Penguins could trade veteran forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust as they consider fully going under rebuild mode to chase top 2026 draft prospect Gavin McKenna.

That is an opportunity for Toronto if they move quickly. Both the players and the team would be ideal fits. Bryan Rust is a playoff grinder with nearly a decade of top-line play under his belt in Pittsburgh.

Rickard Rakell, meanwhile, is coming off a 70-point campaign and adds scoring to a physical, two-way play.

With interest from around the league coming, the Leafs may be forced to give a solid return. But with ex-Leaf GM Kyle Dubas now running things in Pittsburgh, the two teams could potentially make something happen.

The Leafs Have Several Prospects That Could Entice the Penguins

Toronto has enticing pieces like goalie prospect Dennis Hildeby, defenseman William Villeneuve, and winger Nick Robertson, players who could be attractive to a Penguins team that is rebuilding.

'So, I'm looking at Bryan Rust. I'm looking at Rickard Rakell. There are a few teams that still need a top-six forward. If you can make money work, I think Winnipeg does. I think Toronto does.'
- NHL analysts Tyler Yaremchuk and Matt Larkin

The analysts also revealed that if they can make the money aspect work, the Winnipeg Jets are the other team that could have a serious shot at acquiring either Rust or Rakell.

Whether it's Rust's leadership or Rakell's shooting, these two Canadian teams can't afford to wait.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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