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The Pittsburgh Penguins traded Lars Eller after a slow start to the 2024-25 campaign. Pittsburgh appeared as if they were entering a rebuild when they made the trade. Head coach Mike Sullivan was on the hot seat while the Penguins seemed destined for the bottom of the Eastern Conference. However, thanks to players such as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Rickard Rakell, things changed.
Pittsburgh turned itself around in rather impressive fashion. They beat some really good teams and climbed the Wild Card standings. Their play entering the 4 Nations tournament break wasn't great, to be fair. However, the Penguins are only six points back of the Detroit Red Wings in the Wild Card race.
As a result, it's hard for a team like the Penguins to justify selling. It's a stated goal of general manager Kyle Dubas that he wants to acquire younger, NHL-caliber players. In order to do that, though, you need to give something of value in return. It's hard to do this while your team is not out of the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
However, the Penguins could be in luck. Rakell is one of the best trade candidates on the market this season. He is signed past the 2024-25 campaign, as well. His offense has picked back up after a down year in 2023-24, which means contending teams could certainly start picking up the phones.
Trading a player like Rakell in this spot is not an easy decision to make. However, for the Penguins, it's the correct decision. They will get more out of trading Rakell now than they will if they wait until the summer.
Rickard Rakell could net massive return in seller's market
The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline is rather interesting to examine. Usually, there is some degree of separation between the playoff contenders and the non-playoff clubs. And to some extent, this rings true in 2024-25. The Anaheim Ducks, for instance, are nine points back of the Vancouver Canucks in the West Wild Card race. But they are not seen as a true playoff contender this year.
In saying this, there are a lot of teams in the NHL that are closer to the postseason than Anaheim. The Penguins are one of these teams. In fact, Pittsburgh is one of six teams in the East who are within six points of the Red Wings for the final Wild Card spot.
This has created a seller's market ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. There are far more teams in contention than there are out of contention. Those who have already committed to selling therefore control the prices on the market. If a contending team wants to add, they will likely need to pay a bit more than they are initially comfortable with.
As a result, the Penguins could bring in a massive haul for Rickard Rakell. The veteran winger has shown he can be a legitimate offensive producer in the top six. In fact, no Penguins player has scored more goals this year than the 31-year-old Swede. Not Crosby, not Malkin, not Kris Letang, and not even Erik Karlsson.
Rakell is a player a lot of contending teams would love to add around this time of year. Especially given that he is not a rental. With this in mind, the Penguins should take full advantage and force contending teams into a bidding war for his services.
Penguins are not a Stanley Cup contender
There are a few teams in this playoff race who are trying to simply make it. For teams such as the Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets, simply getting their foot in the door is a victory. This is not to say that they aren't trying to win a Stanley Cup. It's more that these are younger teams whose competitive window is beginning to open.
The Penguins, while having acquired younger players recently, are not one of these teams. They have an aging core and are headed for an inevitable rebuild at some point. But let's say, for argument's sake, that Pittsburgh makes the playoffs this season. Are they a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in 2025?
The answer to this question is a firm “no.” Crosby, Malkin, Letang, and Karlsson are still very capable players. Crosby, in particular, is still an elite player at this level. However, there are too many question marks for this club. Pittsburgh's defense is not the best, and their goaltending situation is even worse.
Is keeping Rickard Rakell on the roster worth it for the Penguins if they simply bow out in the first two rounds? Given what they should be able to get for the veteran winger, the answer to this is also a firm “no.” Pittsburgh can maximize their return now by trading him before March 7th. And when they find themselves in this position down the line, a Rakell trade could be a major reason why they are more suited to compete for the Stanley Cup than they are now.
