3 Potential Trade Destinations for Penguins' Rickard Rakell

1 week ago  /  NHL Trade Rumors

The Pittsburgh Penguins have an uphill climb once the NHL season resumes, as the Pens entered the 4 Nations Face-Off break with a 23-25-9 record. Their six points out of a playoff spot, and president Kyle Dubas will have to evaluate quickly which direction he'd like to go heading into the March 7 trade deadline.We've seen Dubas cash in on two pending free agents and land a first-round pick, and for his next big move, it could mean scoring winger Rickard Rakell being shipped out of Pittsburgh. The 31-year-old Swede is signed for $5 million AAV through the 2027-28 season, and so far this year, is having a bounce-back campaign, scoring 25 goals, and 48 points in 56 games. Here's three teams to keep an eye on leading up to the trade deadline:Los Angeles KingsThe Kings are in the market for a right-handed scoring winger, and Rakell is exactly that. L.A and Pittsburgh have done business together in the past, and Dubas also has a history of some big moves with Rob Blake, dating back to his days in Toronto. Rakell has a 8-team no-trade clause on his contract, but playing hockey back in California would certainly make the approval list. As far as trade return goes, Dubas will certainly ask for Brandt Clarke, but the Kings won't budge there, but could be open to moving Jordan Spence on the back end, or Akil Thomas up front.Minnesota WildThe Wild are a team to watch because the salary cap is going up these next few seasons in a significant way, but also this is the last season GM Bill Guerin has to worry about the massive dead cap money for the buyouts on Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. Dubas would likely have some serious trade interest in Marco Rossi in return.Winnipeg JetsThe Jets are in the market for a top-six forward, ideally a center, but Rakell would be an affordable option for them. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff isn't ever shy when it comes to bold moves, especially before the deadline. These two teams have pulled off a trade recently, swapping top prospects, so there's certainly some rapport to build off of for something bigger. Dubas would likely have interest in Rasmus Kupari, Logan Stanley, and goaltender Thomas Milic.Photo credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images...

Read Full Article.