The Pittsburgh Penguins have not been having a great season. The team is currently in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division and six points out of a wild-card spot. At this point, it would take a miracle for the Penguins to make the postseason. Even though the team as a whole is not performing well, there are more than a few players who have been having a standout season. Rickard Rakell is one of the players who has been a nice surprise for them, but are his days in Pittsburgh numbered?
Rakell Has Been Holding His Own
Last season, Rakell had 15 goals in 70 games. Coming into this season, he had a lot to prove, but he has more than delivered. Currently, he has 32 points in his last 29 games, and he leads his team in goals with 25. He has been a staple on the first line next to Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust. He was just added to Team Sweden for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off as an injury replacement for Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson. The 10-day tournament starts on Feb. 12 in Montreal.
Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson was among the first named to Team Sweden, however, Rakell did not make the initial cut. Perhaps not being included on the initial roster back at the beginning of December lit a fire under the 31-year-old winger. In the 32 games since the roster came out, he has 15 goals. Pittsburgh is definitely thankful for whatever has jump-started Rakell’s game, but will they be keeping him as part of their roster?
The Penguins have already started making moves toward a major retool. On Feb. 1, they traded defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a future first-round draft pick, Danton Heinen, Vincent Desharnais and 18-year-old prospect Melvin Fernstrom.
This trade was good asset management and furthered general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas’ plan for the next few years. Heinen was previously with Pittsburgh from 2021 through the 2022-23 season. During the 2021-22 season, he scored 18 goals, and the team is hoping to get some type of production out of him through the remainder of the season.
There may not be a fire sale in Pittsburgh approaching the trade deadline, however, Dubas is definitely a seller as the deadline approaches. With the kind of season Rakell is having, he is a huge bargaining chip for the Penguins. Dubas has been clear about his goal to make the team younger and at 31 years old the Swedish forward is no longer in that category.
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Rakell’s current contract runs through the 2027-28 season and carries an average annual value of $5 million. That is a huge discount for a player who can score the way he does. It is probably safe to say Dubas is currently listening to offers for his best trading chip, and if he gets the right one he won’t hesitate to make a deal.
Dubas Planning for the Future
As much as the Penguins organization wanted to see Crosby and the rest of the core lift one more Stanley Cup before retirement, the reality is the team is closer to the draft lottery than a championship. Dubas knows he has a limited window with Rakell and if there is a trade to be made, he is going to make one. He has to prioritize Pittsburgh’s long-term future, and he may wait until March 7 in order to raise the asking price for his star winger. At this point, it is clear that he has a plan for the future and it seems to be a good one.
