January 7, 2025 | 5:40pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

PENGUINS UNLIKELY TO TRADE RAKELL?

Rickard Rakell, forward

As the Pittsburgh Penguins battle for playoff positioning with the NHL entering the second-half of the 2024-25 season, the team is also expected to be active over the next two months leading up to the trade deadline.

While a number of players will see their names pop in and out of the rumour mill – such as defencemen Marcus Pettersson and Matt Grzelcek, and forwards Anthony Beauvillier, Michael Bunting and Drew O’Connor – one player who isn’t expected to be moved this season is veteran winger Rickard Rakell.

According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, trading Rakell in-season is doubtful, and “a Rakell trade would be far more likely in the summer.”

Rakell, 31, comes with a $5 million salary cap hit and has three more years left on his contract after this season. He also owns an eight-team no-trade list as part of his deal.

He is set to earn $4.8 million in actual salary next season, and $3.6 million in each of the final two years of his six-year contract.

“Remember, the salary cap is likely to rise substantially next season, which means teams will be far more willing to court players such as Rakell when summertime arrives,” Yohe wrote in his article. “This would give the Penguins a better chance at reaching the postseason this season and wouldn’t diminish the return for Rakell much.”

In 41 games with the Penguins so far this season, Rakell has registered 18 goals and 15 assists for 33 points.