Livescore
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been among the busier teams in this season’s NHL trade market.
They recently shipped Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor to the Vancouver Canucks. Earlier this season, they traded Lars Eller to Washington, acquired Philip Tomasino from the Nashville Predators and brought back Pierre-Olivier Joseph from the St. Louis Blues.
Penguins GM Kyle Dubas could have other moves in store by the March 7 trade deadline. His most valuable trade chip is Rickard Rakell. The 31-year-old right winger is playing well this season alongside captain Sidney Crosby. He’s signed through 2027-28 with an average annual value of $5 million.
The Hockey News’ Kelsey Surmacz says the Penguins could be in a good position to capitalize on Rakell’s potential career year with 48 points in 56 games so far. But if the team’s trying to be competitive in the next two seasons, Surmacz says the Penguins shouldn’t just trade him for futures, so keeping him for now may be the right move.
The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reports the Penguins aren’t in a hurry to peddle Rakell. Nevertheless, he thinks they could listen if a team made a significant offer, including a first-round pick and a young NHL-ready player. He also indicated that Dubas hasn’t told other clubs that Rakell is unavailable, only that the asking price is high.
With Rakell under contract beyond this season, Dubas doesn’t have to move him by the trade deadline. If a suitable offer isn’t received by March 7, he could wait for the off-season when teams have more cap space and a greater willingness to spend.
Related: NHL Rumor Roundup: The Blues Could Become Major Sellers At The Trade Deadline
Turning to the St. Louis Blues, reports earlier this week suggested Brayden Schenn could become available. The 33-year-old center has three more years on his contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million. He also has a full no-trade clause this season, but it reverts to a 15-team no-trade list on July 1.
During Monday’s 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the Blues would set a high price for Schenn, but several teams were interested. He felt the Vegas Golden Knights came to mind as a destination if they could make it work.
The Golden Knights have about $3.474 million in projected trade-deadline cap space, according to PuckPedia. They’ll have to free up more cap room or convince the Blues to retain half of Schenn’s cap hit to pull it off, assuming he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause.
Nevertheless, the Golden Knights have a well-earned reputation for making bold deals. Despite their salary-cap obstacles, we can’t dismiss the possibility that they’ll acquire Schenn.
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