Devils Were Paying a Premium for Rickard Rakell

Entering the NHL Trade Deadline, several teams, like the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils, were looking for goal-scoring as they targeted Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell. The Devils, especially, given their woes all season, have not been able to replace Tyler Toffoli‘s production. Toffoli is now in San Jose, and the Devils did not address that area of need in the offseason.

NHL Trade Deadline: Los Angeles Kings Had Interest Brock Boeser and Richard Rakell

Before the March 7th NHL Trade Deadline, Devils President and GM Tom Fitzgerald sought to help his top six by adding a goal scorer. There were reports they had interest in Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks along with Mikko Rantanen of the Carolina Hurricanes. Both players were going to cost the Devils a premium.

In a recent episode of @FullPressNHL Podcast… @chriswassel and I confirm the asking price for Rakell at the deadline and how the Devils would have to pay the divisional premium to get him.

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— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) March 15, 2025

In addition to those two, the Devils even tried to trade for Rickard Rakell of the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, as Chris Wassel of NHLRumors.com stated on the Full Press Hockey Podcast, the asking price was too high for them to make the trade.

NHL Rumors: New Jersey Devils, and the St. Louis Blues

Chris Wassel: “The other guy that Devils were in on, and this is where the old divisional premium comes in and it got ridiculous, was Rickard Rakell. Pittsburgh wanted to basically what amounted to be a first-round pick and a conditional first for Rakell plus a low-end prospect.”

Jim Biringer: “That’s a lot for Rickard Rakell.”

Wassel: “And look, I get this. Rakell has been able to rejuvenate his career after a lot of people thought it was done due to injuries, right? Was he their most valuable trade chip? Oh, absolutely. There’s not even a discussion there. Were you going to get what you wanted for him?”

Biringer: “No.”

Wassel: “No. So, Pittsburgh quickly figured out that wasn’t going to happen. You weren’t going to get the moon and star treatment, and they backed off.”

NHL Rumors: Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Buffalo Sabres

The report above confirms what  Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported on the DFO Rundown Podcast: The Penguins were asking for two first-round picks and the team’s top prospect in exchange for Rickard Rakell. Therefore, it did not make sense for the Devils to make that trade with the Penguins. So it makes sense the Devils made the depth they did. 

Now, it makes sense that Pittsburgh was asking that much of him. If they traded him to New Jersey, they would see him there for three more seasons. But not many teams could pay that price. The Los Angeles Kings looked at him but went in another direction.

It feels like Penguins GM Kyle Dubas was asking for more for Rakell than he was for Jake Guentzel last season. But there were no takers. Rakell would have been a good piece for any team’s top six at the NHL Trade Deadline, as he is now up to 31 goals on the season.

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