Two Penguins That Could Net Big Returns At The Trade Deadline

The Pittsburgh Penguins season has not gone how anyone in the organization would have hoped. The team will likely be a seller at the trade deadline due to their record. However, with an injury to their main trade target Jake Guentzel the Penguins will need to find other players to trade and receive future assets for.

Two Trade Options Reveal Themselves For The Penguins

With Guentzel unlikely to be traded due to his injury the Penguins will need to get creative at the trade deadline. In the name of being creative two options have been revealed that the Penguins could use in a trade.

The first player is Reilly Smith. Smith has had a disappointing run with the Penguins this season. Brought in to boost the middle six Smith has struggled to find his way. This means his trade value will likely be quite low. His pedigree playing for contending teams in the past could still make him an attractive asset.


The second player is Rickard Rakell. Rakell has had an okay season with the Penguins putting up 20 points in 39 games. This is a significant step back for Rakell from last season but still good enough to be a trade piece. Much like Smith teams might gravitate to previous success and chalk this year up to the disfunction happening in Pittsburgh.

What Could The Penguins Fetch For Smith And Rakell?

If the Penguins are going to trade these two players the question then becomes how much can they get back? With each player that answer is slightly different.

For Smith, it will be a tough sell. He is on a sizeable contract that almost no team that is contending can take on. This means the Penguins either need to retain his salary, take on a bad contract, or sell him off for essentially nothing.

With Rakell the Penguins have a wider variety of options. He is on a lower salary and has shown some flashes of positive play this season. With teams looking for a dependent middle six winger this deadline Rakell could be a catch. He could fetch a young roster player and a second to third-round pick in the right deal.

The Penguins find themselves in a less-than-ideal situation heading into the trade deadline. General Manager Kyle Dubas has his work cut out for him in making the best of it. How Dubas handles this deadline could set the tone for the future of the franchise.

As Read On - The Hockey News - Penguins Can Make Two Trades for Great Returns