Penguins Must Trade Scoring Winger Next

After trading a top defenseman, the Pittsburgh Penguins must trade their top scoring winger next.

Nov 27, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) skates with the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The exodus of veterans may be beginning is for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team took a definitive move towards their rebuild or retool or whatever term they'd like to use. They sent top-four defenseman Marcus Pettersson and middle-six winger Drew O'Connor to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a pair of roster players, a forward prospect, and a future first-round draft pick.

That's the move of a selling team, and the Penguins are certainly a seller approaching this year's NHL Trade Deadline. Reports of a fire sale surfaced recently, and while it may not reach the level of trading top players like Evgeni Malkin or Erik Karlsson, it certainly seems like everyone outside of the core group is up for grabs. That includes scoring winger Rickard Rakell, who must be the next player moved by the Penguins.

Rakell is having an excellent 2024-2025 campaign for the Penguins. Through 52 games, he has 23 goals and 20 assists for 43 points. This is the second time in his three full seasons in Pittsburgh that he's eclipsed the 20-goal mark. His trade value has increased greatly over the last year, and it's reaching an apex as he closes in on the 30-goal mark.

The Penguins have no use for a scoring winger over 30 that is under team control. He's currently under contract with an average annual salary of $5 million through the 2027-2028 campaign, which for many teams would be a discount for someone who can score like Rakell does.

The Pens must strike while the iron is hot. With Rakell commanding a high return for a limited window, the Penguins must find a way to turn him into future assets before it's too late. This team is is closer to a first-overall pick than a Stanley Cup, and Rakell is now their best trade chip. They ought to use it to their advantage as they press further into this next chapter for the franchise.

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