Report: Pittsburgh Penguins Offering 2 Forwards in Trade Talks

Kyle Dubas wants to retool his roster this summer, so expect to see some players moved out of Pittsburgh this offseason.

The Penguins GM has been working the phones trying to find another trade to facilitate, and reports have surfaced stating Dubas is offering Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell in trade talks, this according to The Athletic's Josh Yohe.

Dubas isn’t itching to trade veteran forwards Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell, but, much like last summer, both are available.

There is interest in both players; the question is, how much? Over the past two summers, Dubas received far more interest in Rust than in Rakell. Rust didn’t disappoint during the 2025-26 season, putting up 29 goals and a career-high 65 points. His only real cons are that he recently turned 34 and that he is injury-prone, having missed 10 or more games in nine of his 10 full NHL seasons.

Rakell had a slow start last season and then missed considerable time with a broken hand. He was magnificent in the second half, though, while playing center — he’s a natural winger, equally capable on the right or left side — and finishing with 24 goals and 48 points in 60 games.

A lot of people expected the Penguins to deal Rakell at the trade deadline, but the team never received an offer that even tempted Dubas. Like Rust, Rakell has two years remaining on his deal. And like Rust ($5.25 million cap hit), Rakell ($5 million) comes at a reasonable cost that would fit with several teams, given the NHL’s rising cap ceiling.

The Penguins are trying to create a core who can take over once Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Kris Letang decide to hang up the skates. So, if we see Rust and Rakell moved this summer, expect some younger players coming back the other way.