The Montreal Canadiens may have come closer to constructing a blockbuster trade for Kirill Marchenko than anyone realized. And the surprising part? Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell reportedly played a role in Kent Hughes’ thinking.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that Montreal explored the possibility of acquiring Rakell and potentially using him in a larger package to convince the Columbus Blue Jackets to trade Marchenko.
Instead, the Toronto Maple Leafs landed the 26-year-old winger in September, sending Matthew Knies to Columbus as the centrepiece of a blockbuster trade.
Now, with Pittsburgh reportedly willing to listen to offers for veteran players, there is another question worth asking.
Could the Canadiens revisit Rickard Rakell, this time to strengthen their own lineup rather than use him as a trade asset?
The answer is more complicated than his $5 million contract suggests. Montreal’s salary-cap situation, Pittsburgh’s rebuilding priorities and Rakell’s offensive production could determine whether this rumour develops into something meaningful.
Canadiens Trade Rumors: What Elliotte Friedman Revealed About Rickard Rakell
During the October 19 edition of 32 Thoughts, Friedman discussed Montreal’s unsuccessful pursuit of Marchenko and identified Rakell as a potential piece the Canadiens considered obtaining.
The idea was creative: acquire an established Pittsburgh Penguins forward, then potentially redirect that player to Columbus to improve Montreal’s offer.
Friedman attributed the information to people familiar with the discussions. His comments did not establish that a completed three-team agreement was imminent.
The report indicates that Montreal was exploring solutions to satisfy Columbus, not that all three organizations had settled on an acceptable trade.
The Columbus Blue Jackets wanted meaningful NHL talent in return for Marchenko. Rakell could have helped Montreal assemble a more competitive offer without necessarily sacrificing one of its most important young players.
From my perspective, this tells us something valuable about Hughes’ approach.
Rather than simply increasing the number of prospects and draft picks in an offer, Montreal apparently investigated ways to acquire an asset that directly addressed another team’s needs.
That is sophisticated roster-building, even when the proposed transaction never happens.
Why the Toronto Maple Leafs Won the Kirill Marchenko Trade Sweepstakes
Toronto ultimately possessed something difficult for Montreal to match: Matthew Knies.
On September 28, the Maple Leafs acquired Marchenko, Miles Wood and Elvis Merzlikins from Columbus.
In return, the Blue Jackets received Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae and a 2027 second-round draft selection.
Knies, 23, had recorded 66 points in 79 games during 2025-26. He represented an established young forward who could contribute immediately while remaining part of Columbus’ long-term plans.
Marchenko delivered 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games last season, giving Toronto another proven offensive weapon.
The Maple Leafs subsequently secured him on a six-year, $75 million extension beginning in 2027-28.
Here is where Montreal faced its biggest challenge.
Prospects and draft picks carry tremendous potential, but they cannot always replace a productive NHL player immediately.
Adding Rakell might have made Montreal’s offer more attractive. Whether it would have surpassed Toronto’s actual package is impossible to establish.
My assessment is that Knies’ age, production and existing contract gave Columbus a particularly compelling combination of present-day help and future value.
Rickard Rakell’s Numbers Explain Why Montreal Was Interested
Rakell is not the same player as Marchenko, but his offensive history deserves attention.
The 33-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins winger scored 35 goals and 70 points in 81 games during 2024-25.
He followed that with 24 goals and 48 points in 60 appearances last season.
Across those two seasons, Rakell averaged approximately 0.83 points per game. That is substantial production from a forward carrying a $5 million annual cap hit.
His 2026-27 season has started differently. Through Pittsburgh’s first nine games, Rakell had recorded two assists without scoring a goal.
There are legitimate reasons to be cautious about that start, including age and the Penguins’ offensive struggles.
However, nine games are not enough to erase multiple productive seasons.
One of the biggest mistakes teams make is treating a short scoring drought as proof that an established forward has permanently declined.
Rakell still offers a right-handed shot, experience on the power play and the ability to play either wing.
Those attributes explain why teams could remain interested despite his slow start.
Would Rickard Rakell Actually Improve the Montreal Canadiens?
Montreal already has important offensive pieces in Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, with Ivan Demidov representing another major part of the organization’s future.
The Canadiens also have veteran options, including Chris Kreider, and developing forwards competing for larger roles.
Consequently, Rakell would not automatically solve Montreal’s biggest problem.
He would provide another established scoring option, particularly if the coaching staff wanted more flexibility in the middle six.
I would be interested in Rakell as a potential secondary scoring acquisition rather than an expensive replacement for the elite winger Montreal originally pursued.
He can help a power play, finish chances from dangerous areas and give younger players an experienced linemate.
But acquiring him would only make sense if the Canadiens could avoid sacrificing an important part of their long-term core.
Montreal Canadiens Salary Cap: Can They Afford Rickard Rakell?
This is where the trade becomes difficult.
Montreal has approximately $691,257 in projected 2026-27 cap space against the NHL’s $104 million ceiling.
Rakell carries a $5 million cap hit through 2027-28 and has an eight-team no-trade list.
A straightforward acquisition would therefore require substantial cap management.
Pittsburgh retaining salary could reduce the obstacle, although retention would likely increase the compensation required.
Can the Canadiens Afford Rickard Rakell?
Even a 50% retained-salary arrangement would leave Montreal needing approximately $1.81 million in additional projected cap room before accounting for outgoing contracts or other adjustments.
The Canadiens would need to move salary, restructure their roster or explore another permissible mechanism.
That makes Rakell a possible hockey fit, but not an uncomplicated financial fit.
An Original Trade-Value Analysis: Rakell Versus Marchenko
The original trade discussion becomes more interesting when comparing the players’ broader value rather than focusing exclusively on goals.
For this analysis, I evaluated three factors: recent scoring production, age and contractual control, and cap efficiency.
Marchenko receives a higher overall score because he is younger and has stronger long-term offensive upside.
Rakell remains attractive because his $5 million contract offers an established scorer at a substantially lower annual price.
Rakell vs. Marchenko: Who Offers Better Value?
2025–26 production and illustrative 2026–27 trade-value index24 goals • 0.80 P/GP
$5M cap hit
27 goals • 0.88 P/GP
$12.5M extension AAV*
A player’s market value also depends on available alternatives, injury risk, contract protections, and how strongly a particular organization values its prospects.
In my view, Columbus would have required more than Rakell alone to surrender Marchenko.
That is why the idea of acquiring Rakell as one component of a larger package makes sense.
Montreal may have been trying to solve a trade-value problem through roster construction rather than simply adding another draft selection.
Why the Pittsburgh Penguins Could Entertain a Rickard Rakell Trade
Pittsburgh is dealing with a familiar challenge: remaining competitive around Sidney Crosby while preparing for the franchise’s next generation.
The Fourth Period reported on October 19 that the Penguins are receiving interest in both Rakell and Bryan Rust.
General manager Kyle Dubas must decide which veterans remain essential and which could return useful future assets.
Rakell’s contract presents an interesting opportunity.
He is not merely a rental. Any acquiring team would control him through next season, providing more certainty than an expiring contract.
For Pittsburgh, however, another year of term could make a trade more attractive today, before the player approaches unrestricted free agency in 2028.
If the Penguins receive an appealing combination of younger talent and draft capital, moving a veteran forward could accelerate their longer-term transition.
Still, Pittsburgh is not obligated to accept a discounted return simply because Rakell has started slowly.
Interest from multiple teams could give Dubas some leverage.
What Happens Next for the Montreal Canadiens and Rickard Rakell?
As of October 19, there is no confirmed new agreement between Montreal and Pittsburgh and no evidence that Rakell is on the verge of becoming a Canadien.
The newly reported information concerns Montreal’s earlier attempt to acquire Marchenko.
That proposed path did not succeed, and Toronto’s September 28 trade settled Marchenko’s immediate future.
Nevertheless, Rakell’s availability is an active storyline worth following.
The Canadiens have demonstrated interest in finding creative solutions to upgrade their offence. Pittsburgh has experienced veterans who could become available.
Whether those two circumstances produce a deal depends on the acquisition price, salary cap and how aggressively Hughes wants to improve his team.
My verdict: Rakell is worth a phone call, but Montreal should only pursue him if the financial and asset costs support the organization’s long-term plan.
Follow the Latest Montreal Canadiens News and Trade Rumors
Stay up to date on the latest Montreal Canadiens news, NHL trade rumors, contract updates and roster moves as the season unfolds. NHLTradeRumor.com tracks the speculation, trade chatter and developing stories that could impact the Canadiens lineup. While you’re here, join our NHL Fantasy Hockey Pool to test your GM skills against other hockey fans and compete for ultimate bragging rights. Looking for what channel the Habs game is on TV today? Visit our Montreal Canadiens TV schedule for game times, broadcast information and where to watch. Bookmark NHLTradeRumor.com and sign up for our newsletter below to get the biggest NHL trade rumors and news delivered directly to you.
Enjoying our trade coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to catch breaking rumors first.
