Penguins Must Sell High on Forward Before Deadline

The Pittsburgh Penguins can't remain hesitant in trading their top goal scorer.

Jan 7, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) reacts after scoring a goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been selling off key pieces to their lineup all season, but one forward has stuck around with the trade deadline quickly closing in. Rickard Rakell is putting together quite the rebound season leading the Penguins with 29 goals and 53 total points.

With Rakell stringing together a successful season and the Penguins not coming anywhere close to the playoff race a lot of trade speculation has centered around the 31-year-old forward. Despite the talk, the Penguins have been hesitant to trade Rakell.

Rakell’s remaining contract at $5 million annually for another three seasons has made him a tough sell. Big increases coming to the salary cap over the next three years has made a Rakell trade over the offseason much more possible.

Looking around the league, however, the Penguins best bet might be to deal Rakell before the trade deadline. The NHL turned into a seller’s market this year with a handful of first-round picks already traded and more to likely to come.

The Tampa Bay Lightning dealt away a pair of first-round draft picks to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Florida Panthers sent a first-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the Seth Jones trade.

New York Islanders veteran Brock Nelson and Philadelphia Flyers center Scott Laughton are both expected to fetch first-round picks if they end up being traded ahead of the deadline. If the Carolina Hurricanes decide to flip Mikko Rantanen, they’re looking for a huge return, which could easily include a first rounder.

The Penguins need to take advantage of the market and send Rakell to the highest bidder. If players like Jones, Nelson, and Laughton can land first-round picks, so can Rakell.

Rakell’s value has never been higher, especially for a team looking for scoring help ahead of a playoff run. Teams will want to strike while the iron is hot with Rakell because there is no guarantee he’ll be able to replicate this next year.

He’s already notched 29 goals, but Rakell is projected to reach a career-high 37 tallies before the end of the year. If a team needs scoring, especially in the fight for playoff positioning, they should be ready to pay a premium for his talents.

The Penguins need to take advantage of what they can as they continue to build for the future.

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