Whether or not any trade has been near completion, Rickard Rakell’s identify has typically been within the chatter as an offseason trade risk. That’s once more this case on TSN, the place Rakell is available in as a highlighted participant across the league.
6. Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh – LW
Rakell, 33, had 24 targets and 48 factors in 60 video games with the Penguins final season. He added a purpose and 4 factors in six playoff video games because the Penguins fell within the first spherical to the Flyers.
The 6-foot-1 winger is getting into the fifth season of a six-yr, $30 million contract that carries an annual cap hit of $5 million.
The Penguins have been affected person about holding onto Rakell, who is sort of the asset on the ice. After producing 70 factors in 2024-25, Rakell carried out effectively once more in 2025-26. He’s versatile sufficient to play all three ahead positions, together with an prolonged stint at middle this previous season. Add in a staff-pleasant cap hit and that’s a priceless participant to have round.
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Yet the questions nonetheless swirl, which may have one thing to do with staff make-up as effectively. Pittsburgh re-signed 40-yr outdated Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby turns 39 over the summer time and Bryan Rust celebrated his thirty fourth birthday final month. Add in Rakell, and that’s a mighty outdated nucleus of a prime-six ahead group.
The Pens don’t have a ton of different choices, Egor Chinakhov has established himself, Tommy Novak is hanging round however prospects like Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen didn’t make tangible strides in the direction of being plug-and-play in an enormous NHL position subsequent season.
That makes the thought of shifting Rakell an alluring one, particularly if the staff’s preliminary outlook for 2026-27 didn’t embrace Malkin coming again. Moving on from Rakell now for youthful property and making an attempt to focus on bringing in one other ahead (both immediately in that transaction or by discovering one elsewhere) may make sense in a staff-constructing perspective.
The fallback of merely hanging onto participant is a pleasant path to take too. Rakell is a participant that’s nonetheless going to assist subsequent season, if it involves that.