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Kyle Dubas Must Make Crucial Decision on Penguins Top Forward
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas will have many big decisions to make this summer, including with what to do with Rickard Rakell
Kyle Dubas made several trades this year leading up to this month's trade deadline, but one of the team's most valuable pieces remains with the club.
Of course, that would be Swedish forward Rickard Rakell, who was involved in rumors leading up the deadline, but ultimately was never moved.
Recently, an NHL insider revealed Dubas's asking price for Rakell which largely explains why he stayed with Pittsburgh.
Now Penguins analysts are trying to predict what Dubas might do with Rakell moving forward.
Nick Belsky of Tip of the Ice-Burg believes Rakell won't be going anywhere strictly because of the asking price Dubas set at the deadline.
As he points out, the general manager can't really walk that price down too much, but teams won't be willing to pay it over the summer.
"Rickard Rakell isn't going anywhere. The reported price tells me, 'you need to sell your soul to get Rickard Rakell onto your roster.' That tells me that he should feel pretty safe with this organization. If that's what they're asking at the deadline you can't take the price down too much in the offseason, but the chances you're going to get that go down a lot."
NHL insider Frank Seravalli revealed that that asking price was two first-round picks and a top prospect, similar to what the Carolina Hurricanes got for trading Mikko Rantanen.
While it may be in the best interests of the Penguins to move Rakell, you can't just trade away everybody.
Furthermore, Sidney Crosby is happy that Rakell is still with the team and that means something in itself.
Considering that Crosby is likely to end his career in Pittsburgh, his happiness should be among the priorities for Dubas and the organization as a whole.
So could Rakell get moved this summer? Perhaps, but it certainly doesn't seem all that likely.
| POLL | ||
MARS 24 | 143 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas Must Make Crucial Decision on Penguins Top Forward Do you think Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas will trade Rickard Rakell this summer? | ||
| Yes | 62 | 43.4 % |
| No | 81 | 56.6 % |
| List of polls | ||