The Pittsburgh Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins] are still looking to trade players like Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, Erik Karlsson, and Tristan Jarry, but Rakell's name has been linked to the Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks]. This makes sense because of the three years remaining on his contract and the high level of production he has provided in a swindling Pittsburgh over the past number of years. Connor Bedard still didn't get a linemate upgrade even though Andre Burakovsky and Ryan Donato may spend the majority of time on his line. Bedard needs a real upgrade and Rakell could be that player. To get him, the Blackhawks are going to have to pay up. According to Josh Yohe, Kyle Dubas is looking for NHL-ready players around 22 years old who can come into the lineup and contribute. Compared to the other teams who have been linked to Rakell, the Blackhawks are rich with possible trade candidates that could land them their upgrade. The reason Chicago should is because there just won't be enough room for everyone and using the many high picks that have developed nicely makes sense to get better quickly. The group of players around the age range the Penguins are looking for include Lukas Reichel, Colton Dach, Ryan Greene, Aidan Thompson, Wyatt Kaiser, Ethan Del Mastro, Nolan Allan, and Kevin Korchinski. Every one of them have played an NHL game except Thompson, who just came out of university. Players like Reichel, Kaiser, and Allan have all arguably earned their place in the NHL already, while Dach, Greene, Del Mastro, and Korchinski will be fighting for available spots. The Blackhawks have future players with potential like Anton Frondell, Sacha Boisvert, Marek Vanacker, Oliver Moore, Nick Lardis, Mason West, and Vaclav Nestrasil, so I am okay with the team giving up multiple of the players in the group that the Penguins would be happy with if it means upgrading now. There are plenty of options to fill spots in the very near future and Chicago will be better off when that time comes. Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/] team site to stay updated on the latest news, game day coverage, player features, and more.
