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Penguins and Oilers Emerge as Perfect Trade Partners amid Offseason Buzz
Oilers are looking for one final upgrade in the top-six, and now there's an opportunity for Kyle Dubas and the Penguins to take advantage and push for a major trade.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been at the centre of much trade speculation this off-season, and now things may be about to heat up around Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust heading into training camp.
One team that makes sense as a fit for either player is the Edmonton Oilers, a team that made some big time changes in their top-six this off-season, with departures of Corey Perry and Evander Kane leading to the arrival of Andrew Mangiapane and Isaac Howard.
Penguins Could Leverage Oilers' Urgency to Maximize Trade Return for Top-Six Winger
In a recent interview with Bob Stauffer, Head Coach Kris Knoblauch emphasized that their young talent will get the chance to play, but with the team looking for a Stanley Cup run in 2026 after falling short in the past two years, they could be looking to add some more experienced talent.
"We think highly of them-obviously one being a free agent and the other two, we traded high capital to get. We have a lot of belief they can help us in the short term and become important players in the long term." He added, "We anticipate some ups and downs but they're only going to get better through playing time." - Kris Knoblauch
This should be a prime opportunity for the Penguins to cash in and get the return they want on either Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust, and if Knoblauch and the Oilers don't have the patience for Howard and Savoie throughout the year, adding either veteran would be perfect for Edmonton.
It's unclear whether or not the Oilers would want to add a top-six winger before training camp or if they'll wait to see how things play out a little, but with teams needing top-six players, Dubas has two gold mines on his hands in Rust and Rakell, and if the Oilers want to land that upgrade, Dubas has the perfect chance to land a massive return.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 5 | 95 ANSWERS Penguins and Oilers Emerge as Perfect Trade Partners amid Offseason Buzz Will the Penguins move either Rust or Rakell before the season begins? | ||
| Yes | 62 | 65.3 % |
| No | 33 | 34.7 % |
| List of polls | ||