Trade proposal emerges between the Penguins and the Blue Jackets

Today a new post from Empoleon8771 has suggested a potential mock trade that would send Rickard Rakell and Tristan Jarry to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Patrik Laine and Elvis Merzlikins.

The trade would essentially just be a swap of longer-term heading to Columbus while Pittsburgh takes on higher cap hits for a shorter period.

The Pittsburgh Penguins would get a potential impact player in Patrik Laine who is looking to bounce back after being in the Player Assistance Program. They also add a starting goalie in Elvis Merzlikins who is similar to Tristan Jarry in age but less consistent.

The Columbus Blue Jackets receive Tristan Jarry and add stability to their goaltending position with not that much upside beyond a solid number-one goalie. They also bring in Rickard Rakell who would be a middle-six piece in the Blue Jackets roster and bring veteran presence to a young group.

The Pittsburgh Penguins need to find impact players to help support Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. With the departure of Jake Guentzel the Penguins are missing a top-end winger. Bringing in Patrik Laine would bring the potential player to fit this role. A necessary risk for the Penguins who are looking to make a big jump in 2024-25.

For the Columbus Blue Jackets, this is making the best out of a bad situation. Both Patrik Laine and Elvis Merzlikins reportedly want to leave the team. If you can bring back a starting goalie and a middle-six forward in return that would be a good outcome.

As the offseason continues it will be fun to see if these two teams end up striking a deal with one another.