Penguins Veterans Drawing Interest From Surprise Contender, per Elliotte Friedman

The Pittsburgh Penguins have already undergone a considerable transformation in leadership, as general manager Kyle Dubas dismissed coach Mike Sullivan after almost 10 years on the job following their 3rd straight year of missing the postseason.

Replacing him behind the bench is former New York Rangers assistant Dan Muse, while joining his staff is former Penguins Stanley Cup-winning forward Nick Bonino.

However, there are still likely more changes in store for the Penguins this summer as a pair of veterans have been included in recent trade rumors.

Both Rikard Rackell and Bryan Rust have had their names pop up in trade discussions, with one particular destination popping up as a potential for one or both of them.

Per NHL analyst Elliotte Friedman, the Los Angeles Kings would make a good fit for either Rakell or Rust.

Rust has 3 years remaining on his current contract with an AAV (average annual value) of $5.125 million, while Rakell also has 3 years left on his deal with a slightly lower AAV of $5 million.

In 71 games this year with the Penguins, Rust reached a new career-best with 65 points (31G, 34A). Rakell had a solid output himself of 70 points (35G, 35A).

It remains to be seen which player that Dubas decides to trade, if either of them.