Penguins Divisional Rival Tied to Rickard Rakell by Analysts
Photo credit: Edit from NHL Trade Rumors
The New Jersey Devils, who are divisional rivals of the Pittsburgh Penguins, have been tied to Rickard Rakell by Ryan Novozinsky of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com.
NJ Advance Media's Ryan Novozinsky writes that the New Jersey Devils need a top-six scoring winger if they are going to be Stanley Cup contenders.
They cannot rely on Ondrej Palat, Dawson Mercer, or Stefan Noesen; they need one additional elite piece up front. Ryan Novozinsky examines several potential targets, which he separates into tiers.
Pittsburgh Penguins' Rickard Rakell is a perfect fit. He has three years left at $5 million and offers consistent scoring and solid two-way play.
"While Rickard Rakell is an ideal target for the Devils to pursue, as he has three years left at $5 million. Rakell consistently scores goals and is a steady winger who can be relied on to play two ways."
- Ryan Novozinsky
- Ryan Novozinsky
Kyle Dubas may Hesitate at the Thought of Trading Rickard Rakell to a Division Rival
Penguins GM Kyle Dubas may hesitate to trade Rickard Rakell within the division, so if he doesn't end up being an option, other names will become available.
St. Louis Blues' Jordan Kyrou, a regular on trade bait lists, comes with a hefty $8.125 million cap hit. That deal might only work if New Jersey clears space.
Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson is another intriguing yet pricey possibility. Any deal for him would certainly cost a package of a roster player, a high-level prospect, and draft picks, perhaps even Dougie Hamilton.
More realistic is Seattle's Jared McCann, a 30-goal scorer on a reasonable $5 million contract with two years remaining. The question is whether the Devils would part with a young asset such as Dawson Mercer to acquire him.
As a dark horse, Tyler Toffoli would be a familiar face after his time with Jack Hughes before being dealt to Winnipeg. In any case, the Devils' path to landing a scoring winger will not be simple.
With so few out there on the market, GM Tom Fitzgerald will need to weigh what assets he's willing to give up in a bid to make New Jersey that much more of a championship contender.
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