Penguins Can Make Two Trades for Great Returns
The Pittsburgh Penguins have two players they can make big deals for.
PITTSBURGH — Whether or not the Pittsburgh Penguins admit it, missing the playoffs is a foregone conclusion this season. Add in the injury to star forward Jake Guentzel, and the Penguins may be better off retooling in the interim and looking towards 2024-25. If they do go down that route, they have limited pieces that would be coveted on the trade market. Despite that, a pair of veteran forwards may draw some interest.
Reilly Smith
The first player they ought to move is veteran forward Reilly Smith. Acquired this past summer as Kyle Dubas’ first move in charge, Smith has been an ill fit since arriving in Pittsburgh. He’s been one of the most consistent players over the last decade. He could easily find his game in Pittsburgh or another city.
Smith is owed $5 million for another season after this one. If he performed as expected, his trade value would be at least the same as the third-round pick the Penguins paid for his services. However, his trade value is at a career low, with only nine goals and 21 points, despite mainly playing with Evgeni Malkin.
To trade Smith, the Penguins will either need to deal him for future considerations (nothing), take a bad contract back, or retain salary. There is not a single contender with more than $3 million in available cap space entering the trade deadline. The closest comparison to Smith is the Tomas Tatar trade this season.
The Colorado Avalanche moved Tatar for a fifth-round pick, a deal where neither side was a winner or loser. Unfortunately for the Penguins, this means they should expect a modest return if they find a trade partner. What the Penguins gain even more from a prospective trade is the salary cap relief for this season and next.
One possible trade partner is the Dallas Stars. If the Penguins retained salary, he would fit in nicely with their two-way system on their third line. Another option would be the Avalanche or his former team, the Vegas Golden Knights.
But the team that might make the most sense in terms of fit is the Tampa Bay Lightning. Since their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, the team has been searching for a way to recreate that postseason magic. They've lost critical pieces of their depth and have yet to find the best replacements. A player like Smith could be the perfect complementary piece for another playoff run. If the Penguins could eat some salary to make a deal work, they could pry a higher-skilled prospect or third-round pick in return.
Rickard Rakell
Rickard Rakell is another player whom the Penguins could part with if they find themselves out of the playoff picture. Injuries have drastically altered his time in Pittsburgh, and he’s in the midst of a surprisingly underwhelming season. He still has multiple years remaining on a contract worth $5 million annually, something the Penguins can't afford to be on the hook for.
Rakell's trade value is likely higher than Smith’s for two reasons. Firstly, he’s 30 years old compared to Smith, who is going on 33. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility to expect Rakell to be a top-six winger throughout this contract. Secondly, he’s coming off a 28-goal season and may be labeled as a “change of scenery” candidate by other scoring-needy teams.
Because of this, the Penguins might pull the trigger on a trade before the deadline. While it may be time for Pittsburgh and Rakell to move on, another organization can use his services.
The market for scoring wingers is set pretty firmly over this season, with players like Alex DeBrincat, Elias Lindholm, and Sean Monahan all fetching 2024 first-round draft picks. The Penguins could command a second-round pick plus a prospect or young NHL-proven player.
A wild card trade partner for the Penguins and Rakell would be the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit is in a playoff position and has close to $3 million in cap space. They have players like David Perron on expiring deals, so they have the financial flexibility to trade for and keep Rakell.
They also have a pair of young forwards that the Penguins could eye in exchange: Joseph Veleno and Jonatan Berggren. Veleno is a 24-year-old center with boatloads of skill, but he needs more consistency. Similarly, Berggren is blessed with offensive talent but has seemingly fallen out of favor in Detroit. If either were brought to Pittsburgh in a trade for Rakell, they would get the chance to play in a full-time middle-six role and possibly even more.
The Red Wings would get another proven goal scorer, and the Pens would bring an exciting player with lots to prove and a manageable contract situation. It seems like a win for both sides.
The Penguins want to sneak into the playoffs, but perhaps Kyle Dubas is aware of the reality of their situation, as well. If he is, he'll try to move one or both of these players to give the Penguins a fresh start and ample cap space to contend again in 2024-25.
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