With the main wave of free agency behind them, teams that missed out on big-name signings may now be shifting their focus to the trade market. And at the top of that list are Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, the Fourth Period reports.
Trade speculation surrounding both players isn’t new, especially given that the Penguins are one of the few teams currently in a rebuilding phase. While GM Kyle Dubas hasn’t explicitly stated that either player is off-limits, it’s believed the Penguins would need to be blown away by an offer to part with them. There doesn’t appear to be immediate urgency to move either winger, especially since both have team-friendly deals.
Rust has three years remaining on his contract, which comes with a $5.125MM AAV. The 33-year-old is coming off a career-best season, posting 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games. He has spent his entire career in the Penguins organization after the team selected him in the third round (80th overall) in the 2010 draft. In 638 career games, he’s recorded 427 points, with his 203 goals ranking ninth in franchise history. Rust also excels as a penalty killer and has a history of elevating his game and scoring timely goals in the playoffs. While Rust has expressed interest in remaining in Pittsburgh, his no-trade clause recently expired, thus taking that decision out of his hands.
Rakell bounced back with a strong 2024-25 season after a down year the previous season. In 81 games, Rakell posted a career-best 35 goals and 70 points in 81 games last season, mainly playing alongside Rust and Sidney Crosby. The sharpshooting right winger has three years remaining on an extremely team-friendly $5MM AAV contract. Rakell has eclipsed the 30-goal plateau three times in his career, and the 20-goal mark six times.
Several teams have been recently linked to the duo, including the Hurricanes, before inking Nikolaj Ehlers to a new six-year contract. The Fourth Period also includes Toronto, Los Angeles, San Jose, New Jersey, Buffalo, and Seattle among the teams looking to upgrade their top-six.
While Dubas and the Penguins’ front office would need to be impressed to make a move, with over $15 million in cap space (per PuckPedia), they could be open to taking on a large salary if it sweetens the deal and keeps the other team cap-compliant.
Dubas is the kinda guy to trade him for a late 1st and a undersized D man and turn that first into two mid 2nds at the draft who have like a 80% chance of never making it to the show
This is so true.
The most mind boggling thing about it all is that it keeps happening. I hope a few of the moves pan out but enough shuffling already. The guy needs to go all in, one way or the other
I’m guessing that both Rakell, And Rust are ecstatic.
If teams were really interested in these two they would be gone already. Methinks someone in Pittsburgh is pricing themselves out of a good deal.
Dubas should be asking for a high return for both or either. Why? Team friendly contract and they both produce. Not hard to figure out things. Desperate teams out there either trying to win a title or get int he playoff. Teams that didn’t get Marner or Ehlers are looking for options. Not rocket science.
They’re both too old and signed for too many years for the Hawks to be interested I’m guessing. Otherwise they make interesting trade pieces.
Either one would be the best player in Chicago and that includes over the underwhelming supposed “generational” talent everyone was claiming Bedard as being. Both can produce and are under friendly contracts. If you truly believe your post, you don’t follow hockey at all.
Hawks don’t want anybody over 30. What for? They’re not trying to win the Cup. If you can’t figure out why, Then you don’t follow hockey or know anything about the Hawks.
He’s nearly a point per game player, with no help, on one of the worst teams in the league, and he’s not even 20 yet…. relax on Bedard. I dont get the Bedard hate, and I’m a Wings fan, not a Hawks fan. The kid’s really good and really young
They had quite a few over 30s last season, And 35+.
What top six players are available in trade besides them?
No reason to rush, plenty of suitors.
I expect one to move this summer and the other to be dangled in March.
WPG needs an Ehlers replacement so add them to the list, too. TOR needs either badly.
Canucks trade Rakell for Willander. Pitts relations run deep in van and they have a solid top 4 already (Hughes, Hronek, D. Petey, and Marcus Petey) not to mention Myers, Forbert, and prospect Mancini in the wings
Pitts gets a top 10 pick in Willander and solidifies some d position moving forward
Bet me chickens
The Canucks can’t even do that, they are capped out!
The cost would be a first and Willander for Rakell. You don’t just get him for a suspect in Willander. That is the cost of a productive forward with term.
Thankfully Canucks signed a lot of dubious extensions that makes that dumb trade very unlikely… Being stuck in the mushy middle and up to the cap, the club is one or two bad injuries away from cratering -not a cup – so flipping draft picks is stupid.
You can’t even spell Pettersson?
They are perfect rentals. Both will be moved at the deadline when the returns are the greatest. Exactly how much will depend on their numbers.
This is so simple that even Dubas must have figures that out.
They’re not moving guys with 3 years left on their contracts at the deadline. Ain’t happening.
lol
Dubas is a genius! He just traded for Matt Dumba, I thought the D was old, And slow enough.