Pittsburgh Penguins Strongly Linked To Trades Involving Two Of Their Players
The Penguins are a mess to start this NHL season, and now two of their players, Marcus Pettersson and Rickard Rakell, could be on the move shortly.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are having a pretty miserable season in 2024-25 and are outside of playoff position, meaning they can look to shake up their roster.
Two names kicking around in that regard are D-man Marcus Pettersson and winger Rickard Rakell, both of which have drawn some interest, more so from the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks.
Marcus Pettersson has indeed been a solid presence on the Pittsburgh blue line, generally considered one of the best in defensive zone coverage and in puck-moving ability.
At 6'3" with smart positioning, he'll help balance out the heavy offence in Edmonton's roster, particularly on the penalty kill.
In much the same respect, the Canucks can use the services of Pettersson to build depth, particularly as a partner for Quinn Hughes or Filip Hronek in order to solidify the young D-core.
Rickard Rakell is having a much quieter 2024 campaign, considering he has just 11 points in 20 games, Rakell remains a versatile winger who can be deployed into top-six production.
He could slide in beside either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton, and his scoring touch and creativity perhaps would still blossom.
The Canucks may well wish to pursue Rakell for secondary scoring and experience as they work toward consistency in the playoffs.
These moves could net them some valuable picks or prospects that will continue to help them rebuild, while Edmonton and Vancouver get an impactful piece for their playoff pushes.
With the need for Pittsburgh to retool very apparent, it'll be a very important couple of weeks ahead to see if these moves come together.
