Now that the Pittsburgh Penguins have traded Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor to Vancouver, the biggest question is: Are they done? Might general manager Kyle Dubas trade Rickard Rakell while he is hot?
That would make sense, given the value he could get in return. Rakell has 45 points. He has tallied at least one point in six of his past seven games. While the 31-year-old winger hasn’t scored since Jan. 17, he still has 23 goals. He netted only 15 a season ago and currently leads the team in that category.
However, trading Rakell would leave Sidney Crosby and, frankly, the whole team with only one viable scoring winger (Bryan Rust). So Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 The X sees Rakell sticking in Pittsburgh beyond the trade deadline.
“I think if they were overwhelmed with a great offer for Rakell, they would consider it, but it would have to be overwhelming. So I think not,” Madden said during this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. “With Sid doing really well playing with that line, you’ve got to consider the team first, but I am not lacking cognizance of his situation — not least, trying to have a 20th straight season averaging a point per game.”
As for the trades themselves, Madden applauded Kyle Dubas’ ability to bring a first-round draft pick back in the deal with Vancouver, along with forward Danton Heinen, defenseman Vincent Desharnais and forward prospect Melvin Fernstrom.
“I thought it was a good deal,” Madden said. “I think Dubas did well. … I think we’ve always overrated Marcus Pettersson. I think he’s OK. I think he’s an above-average defensive defenseman. But, I think to get a first-round pick for him and Drew O’Connor, who is useless, was great.”
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Madden particularly liked how Dubas pounced once the Canucks got a first-round pick for J.T. Miller in a separate deal with the New York Rangers.
“The timing of making a deal with (Vancouver president of hockey operations) Jim Rutherford after he got the first-round pick from the Rangers for Miller? It was just burning a hole in (Rutherford’s) pocket,” Madden said of Rutherford’s history of trading picks. “So, I think job well done by Kyle Dubas.”
And on that topic, Madden thinks Dubas may soon begin trading picks of his own.
“In the next three years, he has four first-rounders, four second-rounders and seven third-rounders,” Madden outlined. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he packages some of those picks to get some younger, pedigreed, NHL-ready prospects.”
Also, in the podcast, Madden and I discuss that huge NBA trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. We kick around some potential Steelers moves, the Pirates fan survey and the upcoming Super Bowl between Philadelphia and Kansas City.
