Overview
- League insider Elliotte Friedman reported on Tuesday that the Penguins are shopping forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust as the front office looks to lower the team's average age.
- Rickard Rakell has gone goalless through nine games this season and is in the fifth year of a six-year contract that pays roughly $5.0 million per year, factors that analysts say complicate his trade value.
- Bryan Rust carries a comparable long-term deal and remains a valuable veteran scorer, which could help Pittsburgh extract younger assets if they decide to trade him.
- Sources say Rakell was floated in a proposed three-team package that aimed to acquire Kirill Marchenko but that deal did not materialize and no trades have been announced.
- The move reflects a balancing act for GM Kyle Dubas between keeping the team competitive around veterans like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and trying to maximize return before the March 1 trade deadline, with on-ice production and contract terms the key things to watch next.