The Montreal Canadiens tried hard to land Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kirill Marchenko. And one of the things they tried was to acquire Pittsburgh Penguins veteran Rickard Rakell as part of their offer to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
According to insider Elliotte Friedman, the Habs were looking into landing Rakell, and making him a part of their offer for Marchenko before the Blue Jackets eventually traded him to the rival Maple Leafs.
During the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman shed some light on a rumor positing that the Canadiens had a potential deal with the Penguins in the run-up to the Marchenko trade.
“I had some people tell me that they thought that when Montreal was trying to add to a Marchenko deal in Columbus, they think that Rakell was one of the guys they were seeing if they could deliver to the Blue Jackets.”
What remains unclear is if adding Rakell was part of a separate trade or if the Canadiens were trying to pull off a three-way deal.
Whatever the case, Rakell didn’t really entice Columbus like Matthew Knies did, even if the Habs tried to make their overall package as attractive as possible.
“Obviously, it didn’t happen. But he was a guy that they (Canadiens) were targeting to see if Columbus would like him. And if it made the overall package sweeter, could they deliver him there?”
The trade evidently never happened, and this discussion essentially remains in the realm of speculation.
Canadiens Still Looking for a Top-Six Forward
Montreal has seemingly been looking for an upgrade in the top six forever. The latest chatter has linked the Habs to Dylan Larkin, though there is no indication whatsoever that the Red Wings forward would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to head to Montreal.
That’s why Marchenko made a lot of sense. He was the sort of guy that the Habs would have wanted to boost their scoring. But it’s worth pointing out that the ideal target for the Canadiens is a center, not a winger.
That proposition is a little tougher to fulfill, considering that top-six centers are extremely hard to come by. Perhaps the Canadiens might have to settle for a winger for now, especially when considering the club isn’t exactly off to a blistering start this season.
Montreal May Still Look to Pittsburgh for Help
Friedman was clear about the fact that the Penguins are looking to move on from some of their veteran players. It seems the Pens are out of runway and may be getting ready for the inevitable teardown and rebuild of the team.
As such, wingers like Rakell and Bryan Rust could be available. It would all depend on what the Penguins are looking for and if the Canadiens are willing to meet the asking price.
There is nothing to indicate any sort of deal is imminent. But one has to think that if the Habs had already looked into Rakell, the organization has a good idea of what it will take to land the veteran forward.
Canadiens Targeted Penguins Forward in Marchenko Trade Offer