A Maple Leafs blockbuster may not be off the table just because the Pittsburgh Penguins are backing away from the idea of making another major move right now.
Josh Yohe’s reporting suggests the Penguins could hold off on their biggest swings until 2027, even though they were shopping Bryan Rust and/or Rickard Rakell. The issue, according to Yohe, was simple: the cost to move up in the draft, along with the returns offered for those players, didn’t make the deal worth doing.
That doesn’t close the door completely. It just means the timing has to line up.
For Toronto, that’s where things get interesting. Reports have already suggested Chayka, who has been active this summer, may still be looking for one more significant addition. The exact target isn’t known, but the word “blockbuster” has come up more than once.
Rust and Rakell may not be the flashiest names in that conversation, but they check a lot of boxes. Both wingers have the kind of money that can make a trade work, and both would fit a win-now push.
They could also give Gavin McKenna some breathing room as he settles into a bigger role. Most importantly, they’re established, playoff-tested players - the sort of pieces a front office like Chayka’s would be chasing if it really does have one more major move in mind.
The biggest question is price. Earlier reports this summer said Rust would require a true top-tier prospect and a high pick.
But Yohe’s broader point about Pittsburgh’s 2026 miss suggests the Penguins may have overestimated both the market and their leverage. If that’s the case, the asking price could come down rather than go up.
There’s also a practical reason Pittsburgh might prefer to move now. If the Penguins don’t think they can duplicate the playoff “miracle” they pulled off last season, selling while the value is still there makes more sense than waiting and risking decline from age or injury.
So the idea isn’t dead. Toronto has a possible need, Pittsburgh has players it was willing to move, and the right summer twist could still bring the two sides together.
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