Pucks of a Feather
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6 Players the Anaheim Ducks Should Consider Trading

By Ciara Durant

ANAHEIM, CA - OCTOBER 18: Adam Henrique #14, Ondrej Kase #25, and Rickard Rakell #67 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrate Henrique's goal in the first period of the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Honda Center on October 18, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Robert Binder/NHLI via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - OCTOBER 18: Adam Henrique #14, Ondrej Kase #25, and Rickard Rakell #67 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrate Henrique's goal in the first period of the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Honda Center on October 18, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Robert Binder/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Anaheim Ducks
NEWARK, NJ – DECEMBER 18: Anaheim Ducks left wing Rickard Rakell (67) during the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks on December 18, 2019, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N J. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Rickard Rakell

Rickard Rakell is going to be a tough sell. He’s a fan favorite and one of the Ducks leading point producers, and for that reason, I almost did not include him in this piece. However, Rakell is still young and could be a very enticing piece for a General Manager who’s team is sitting comfortably in a playoff spot. Trading Rakell would be more about obtaining future assets for a rebuild than anything. Again, sell high while you still have the opportunity. Besides, who said rebuilds were easy?

Rakell’s current contract expires in 2022 and at that time, he will be 28. While his current contract is team-friendly, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to want to cash out with one final big contract. He may not ask for a Ryan Getzlaf or Corey Perry sized deal, but Bob Murray just signed Jakob Silfverberg and Adam Henrique to 5-year contracts north of $5M.

While Rakell will certainly have earned a Jakob Silfverberg or Adam Henrique sized contract, will the Ducks want to sign another veteran who is almost 30 to a contract with term? If Anaheim was in playoff talks, there is no doubt they should keep Rakell around for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, in a rebuild, no one is safe. Depending on Murray’s intentions going forward, he needs to ask himself if Rick Rak fits into his plans for the future.

Currently, Rakell is on pace to have a 55 point season. While that would not be his best season to date, it’s up there. If he were to play with a team that had more consistency, imagine what kind of numbers he could put up in the span of a season. Aside from being a very capable scorer, he has plenty of qualities that would make him a desirable asset.

He carries himself with confidence and has an incredible work ethic. His game is pretty well rounded, making him a reliable two-way forward. Rakell is creative and has tremendous offensive upside. He has proven that he can be a versatile asset to the lineup, creating almost instant chemistry with anyone he’s paired with.

It is unlikely that Bob Murray will trade Rakell, but it has been rumored that other teams have shown interest in the past. The Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames being the two teams that come to mind first; both playoff contenders as of the halfway point of the season. Should Murray trade Rick Rak, it’s going to be because he was offered a deal he just simply couldn’t pass up.

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