The Penguins’ push to get younger has put Rickard Rakell squarely in the spotlight.
Pittsburgh is reportedly making veteran forwards available, and Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts that Rakell’s name has come up in that process. Friedman was told the Penguins tried to move Rakell to Columbus during the timeline of the Kirill Marchenko trade, with the idea being that he could have been part of a three-team deal that eventually sent him to the Blue Jackets to help replace the scoring the club lost from its top goal scorer. The move never happened, but it helps explain why Rakell’s name is back in the rumor mill now.
There’s still plenty that isn’t clear. It’s unknown whether the Canadiens submitted a formal offer or how close Rakell actually came to being dealt.
What does seem to be the case is that Montreal explored different ways to build a package that might work for Columbus. The report does not suggest the Canadiens want Rakell as a long-term fit; rather, he appears to have been the piece that could make the framework work.
Rakell’s slow start probably doesn’t help the Penguins’ leverage. Through seven games, he has no goals and two assists, which could drag down the return Pittsburgh would get in any deal.
He said the short training camp wasn’t the issue. “I’ve been through this 100 times before,” he said, and added that the chances have been there and he’s getting shots on net.
“Just gotta maybe relax a little bit when the chances are coming.”
Rakell is far from the only name worth watching. Pittsburgh’s willingness to move older veterans for younger pieces is now out in the open, and general manager Kyle Dubas could have a few options on the table.
Bryan Rust is also likely part of that conversation. It remains to be seen whether that reaches names like Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, or others.
For now, there’s no sign a deal is imminent. Friedman did not report that anything is close, and Rakell’s early-season slump could affect what the Penguins can get back. Still, the direction is clear: Pittsburgh wants to get younger, and Rakell looks like one of the first veterans who could be moved.
He does have some trade protection, including an 8-team no-trade list in his contract.
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