The Pittsburgh Penguins are going to be an interesting team to watch this off-season. While they made the playoffs in 2025-26, they are a team that is still focused on the future. Due to this, it is fair to wonder if they could end up trading some of their veteran players. 

Chris Johnston released his latest board for The Athletic, and two notable Penguins wingers made the cut: Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust.

Rakell was given the No. 21 spot on Johnston's trade board. It is not necessarily surprising, as questions about Rakell's future in Pittsburgh have come up since the end of the club's playoff run. He was also the subject of trade speculation this past summer. 

If the Penguins do shop Rakell, he should generate a good amount of interest. The 33-year-old winger is still an impactful top-six forward at this stage in his career, as evidenced by his 24 goals and 48 points in 60 games this past season.

As for Rust, he landed the No. 22 spot on Johnston's trade board. Like Rakell, Rust has also been talked about often in the rumor mill often this summer, just like was last year. 

Trading Rust would be a big deal, as he has spent all 12 seasons of his NHL career with the Penguins. However, the Penguins could also get a serious return for him if they moved him this off-season. The veteran forward had 29 goals and 65 points in 72 games this past season with Pittsburgh. This was after he had 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games for the Penguins in 2024-25.