It wouldn't be a Penguins off-season without Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell surfacing in the rumor mill. Meanwhile, the Flyers could be interested in Oilers D-man Darnell Nurse.
It wouldn't be the off-season for the Pittsburgh Penguins without forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust surfacing in the trade market.
On Monday, Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported Penguins GM Kyle Dubas isn't trying to move either forward. However, like last summer, both are available for the right price.
Rakell, 33, and Rust, 34, have two years remaining on their contracts, with Rakell carrying an average annual value of $5 million while Rust's is $5.125 million. Rakell is the only one with no-trade protection, carrying an eight-team no-trade list.
According to Yohe, Rust is garnering more interest around the league. He scored 29 goals and a career-high 65 points in 72 games. Despite his age and injury history, he's a reliable two-way forward.
Rust is also Sidney Crosby's linemate, which could factor into any decision by Dubas to move him.
Rakell had a slow start last season and missed 20 games with an injured left hand. However, he had a strong second half, finishing the season with 24 goals and 48 points in 60 games.
Yohe indicated Dubas would prefer a return of promising NHL-ready players over draft picks and prospects, though he wouldn't mind any of those being included. He claimed there was interest in Rakell at the trade deadline, but no offers that would've convinced the Penguins GM to part with him.
We can't rule out the possibility of a club desperate for scoring punch making a pitch for Rakell or Rust. Nevertheless, it wouldn't be a surprise if both are in the Penguins' lineup when the regular season begins in October.
Yohe also indicated that Kris Letang is available. Still, there's currently no interest in the 39-year-old defenseman. He also has two years remaining on his contract, with an average annual value of $6.1 million. Given the decline in Letang's performance, it's doubtful they'll get any takers.
Meanwhile, the buzz persists over Darnell Nurse's trade request last week. The 31-year-old Edmonton Oilers defenseman has four years left on his contract with an average annual value of $9.25 million and a full no-movement clause.
Nurse reportedly gave Oilers management a short list of three to five trade destinations, prompting speculation over where he'd prefer to go.
The Philadelphia Flyers were rumored to be a potential landing spot. Last week, Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer said she'd heard there was mutual interest between the Flyers and the Nurse camp. Still, she wondered about the cost of acquiring him and how much of his salary the Oilers might retain.
The Oilers likely prefer moving Nurse without retaining any salary, so they might have to accept an aging veteran with an expensive contract. Some observers wondered if Flyers captain Sean Couturier would be swapped for him, but he's unlikely to waive his no-movement clause given his club's improvement this season.
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