The Toronto Maple Leafs need to find more goals this season. While losing Mitch Marner does mean that they’ve lost some point production, they will definitely be able to make up for the lost goal-scoring that he provided.
Especially, if they can pull off a bold trade for the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ forward Rickard Rakell, like Bleacher Report has predicted they will.
Rakell, 32, was initially drafted 30th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2011. The 6-foot-1, 191 lb forward is coming off the most productive season of his 13-year career. In 81 games, he recorded 35 goals and 35 assists for 70 points, while averaging 19:18 per game.
Maple Leafs Predicted to Make Bold Trade For Rickard Rakell
Sara Civian of Bleacher Report has released six bold trades that may happen during the 2025-26 season. She has predicted that the Maple Leafs will be on the receiving end of a Rakell trade.
“Rickard Rakell is yet another Penguin who Dubas has held on to and could yield a solid return,” Civian wrote on September 12. “The 32-year-old winger’s got three more years left of his reasonable cap hit and put up 35 goals last season. He’d be a great addition to any playoff team in need of another scoring threat or two to shore up its top six.”
“The Maple Leafs stand out as a team that lost a certain prolific scorer in the offseason and weren’t able to snag a proper replacement on the barren free market.”
Rakell a Good Fit For Maple Leafs Top-Six
Bryan Rust was the first Penguins forward connected to the Maple Leafs this offseason. David Pagnotta wrote that three teams are interested in Rust: the Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, and Columbus Blue Jackets. Additionally, he wrote that Rakell has interest from the Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken, Ottawa Senators, and Chicago Blackhawks.
The Hockey News has also named the Maple Leafs as a good landing spot for Rakell. Analyst Michael DeRosa wrote about Rakell and how he can fit with the Maple Leafs.
“If the Maple Leafs acquired Rakell, he could work nicely playing on their first line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies,” DeRosa wrote on August 13. “Even if he played on the Maple Leafs’ second line with William Nylander moving to the first, Rakell would undoubtedly give their current forward group more proven goal-scoring and playmaking abilities.”
Who’s Better For the Maple Leafs?
Both Rakell and Rust have recorded 167 points over the last three seasons. Rust’s production is more impressive because of all the games he has missed during that time.
Rust has played 214 games since the 2022-23 season, while Rakell has played 233. With both players being in their 30s, their durability is a strong factor to consider before making a trade. While 17 games might not seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things, losing a top-six forward for that length of time could potentially derail a hot streak – or plunge the team into a losing skid.
On paper, either player could be a fit for the Maple Leafs. But in this case, they might be better off with Rakell over Rust.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Maple Leafs to Make Big Swing For Star 35-Goal Scorer appeared first on Heavy Sports.