The Montreal Canadiens continue to search for ways to add more offense this offseason, and with the free-agent market offering precious few proven top-six scorers, the trade market has become the obvious place to look.
Now, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has linked a veteran Pittsburgh Penguins winger to Montreal, although he admits a deal may be easier said than done.
Penguins Winger Linked to Canadiens
Rickard Rakell has become one of the more intriguing names in the rumor mill. With Penguins GM Kyle Dubas reportedly willing to consider moving veteran players to get younger, Rakell has emerged as a possible trade candidate.
The 33-year-old is entering the fifth season of his six-year, $30 million contract, which carries a manageable $5 million cap hit. He also remains a productive top-six winger, recording 48 points in 60 games last season while showing the ability to play on either wing.
Speaking on his 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman mentioned Montreal as a possible landing spot. “Someone else told me they thought it might be really a good fit in Montreal. And I have no idea if it’s even possible. One of those two Pittsburgh wingers, (Bryan) Rust or (Rickard) Rakell… I think those guys would have to approve.
“But he looked at Montreal and he said, I thought with another scorer like one of those two guys, they might look pretty good,” Friedman said.
While the fit on the ice makes sense, several obstacles stand in the way of a deal.
The biggest is timing. Rakell is 33 years old. While his $5 million cap hit for the next two seasons is incredibly reasonable for a point-producing winger, his personal peak doesn’t align with Montreal’s core timeline. Kent Hughes has repeatedly stated he wants players whose prime years mirror those of Suzuki, Caufield, and Slafkovsky.
There’s also the question of what Pittsburgh wants in return. Kyle Dubas isn’t looking for a rebuild consisting of future draft picks and distant prospects. The Penguins want young, NHL-ready players who can step right into their lineup and help them remain competitive around Sidney Crosby. Montreal is highly unlikely to part with their young, rostered pieces (like their rising young defensemen) for a veteran winger on the wrong side of 30.
Rakell also holds an eight-team no-trade list, meaning he has some control over where he could be dealt.
If Rakell does get moved, the Montreal rumors feel more like a product of Kent Hughes doing his due diligence on any available top-six forward.
In reality, teams like the Edmonton Oilers (who are aggressively hunting a top-six winger after losing in the first round to Anaheim) or the Toronto Maple Leafs represent far more logical destinations where Rakell’s immediate win-now window perfectly fits the roster demand.
