Rickard Rakell was a popular player around the trade deadline last season, and the Los Angeles Kings were a logical landing spot for the Penguins forward. The Penguins elected not to trade him during the season but with a new head coach, they may revisit the idea this offseason.
Rakell was traded to the Penguins by the Anaheim Ducks during the 2021-22 season and in his last three seasons in Pittsburgh, he has had two really productive years. In 2022-23, Rakell had 28 goals and 32 assists, but this past season was his best with a career-high in goals at 35 and tied his career-high in assists with 35.
The Penguins forward is under contract for three more seasons with a reasonable AAV of $5 million and could be a boost for the offense that is looking for goal-scorers. Meanwhile, the Penguins get younger with Spence and Alex Turcotte, which would allow them to not necessarily go into a full rebuild. They still have one of the all-time greats in Sidney Crosby and will try to compete for a playoff spot so this trade would help them achieve a few different objectives.