Pittsburgh Penguins Receiving Trade Interest In Two Intriguing Forwards
Rickard Rakell and Michael Bunting are both having great seasons in Pittsburgh, and while they're hesitant to trade them, there is interest around the league, especially after the Penguins have declared themselves open for business following another major trade.
On Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins finally pulled the trigger on a Marcus Pettersson trade, sending the veteran blue liner to the Vancouver Canucks alongside Drew O'Connor for further draft capital.
Now, they may not be done dealing, as a report from David Pagnotta has revealed that the team are still receiving significant trade interest, mainly for two young forwards who are having fantastic seasons despite the Penguins overall struggles.
Those forwards would be Rickard Rakell and Michael Bunting, who are both too old to play a part in the Penguins future, but are giving them an opportunity to stay competitive in 2024/25, with the direction of the team moving forward remaining unclear.
This season has been a career year for Rakell, with the 31-year old posting 23 goals and 45 points in 53 games thus far, while Bunting remains a solid player on both ends of the ice, putting up 14 goals and 27 points in 52 games played.
After the move of Pettersson, the expectation around the league was that the Penguins would remain sellers at this point, and with contending teams needing good, versatile wingers, it makes both players excellent trade candidates ahead of the March 7th deadline.
Ultimately, Kyle Dubas has some huge decisions to make over the next few months, with some of his calls playing a huge part in the future of the Penguins organization, so if this interest continues in Rakell and Bunting, don't be surprised to see the team move them for further draft capital.
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