Rickard Rakell's name is out there again, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are willing to talk.
David Pagnotta reported Sunday night that the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars have been linked to the winger in trade conversations.
Rakell controls an eight-team no-trade list, so Pittsburgh can't just ship him wherever the best offer lands.
He's put up 24 goals and 24 assists for 48 points in 60 games this season, including seven power-play goals.
Over his last 10 games, Rakell has three goals and three assists, though his last five have been quieter.
Pittsburgh sits at 41-25-16, good for 98 points and 10th overall in the league.
But they've lost three straight and gone just 5-5-0 in their last 10. Why dangle a 48-point winger right now?
Rakell's playoff run adds leverage to any Penguins ask
He picked up four points in six playoff games this year, three of them assists.
Pittsburgh split with Edmonton this season, beating them 6-2 in January after losing 4-6 at home in December.
Dallas swept the season series, winning 3-2 in December and 6-3 in March.
Edmonton finished 41-30-11 for 93 points, 14th overall, well behind the pace both Pittsburgh and Dallas set.
Stan Bowman runs Edmonton's front office, and he's been tied to Rakell as a veteran scoring option.
Dallas is the outlier here, sitting 50-20-12 with 112 points, third overall, and winners of five straight.
Glen Gulutzan and GM Jim Nill run a team that's rolling, not rebuilding, and that changes the calculus on a rental like Rakell.
He carries a $5,000,000 cap hit, making him one of the more affordable proven scorers available on the trade market this summer.
Adding Rakell to Dallas makes sense on paper. Pairing him with Edmonton's inconsistent group feels like a bigger reach.
-
Slotting a 33-year-old scorer into a contender's middle six is like adding a spare tire to a car built for the highway. Useful, rarely flashy, necessary if something blows.
Pittsburgh hasn't set a price, and that no-trade list still leaves plenty of doors closed. Whether Edmonton or Dallas gets a real look is anyone's guess.
Would you trade for Rickard Rakell if you're running the Edmonton Oilers?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Oilers and Maple Leafs lose out as veteran rejects both teams
