Lightning Should Make Major Push For Penguins Star

One of the Tampa Bay Lightning's biggest goals of the off-season should be to strengthen their forward group. When looking at their current roster, it is fair to argue that they could use another top-six winger, especially.

Due to this, one player who could make a lot of sense for the Lightning to pursue this off-season is Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell.

With the Penguins in the process of retooling their roster, Rakell has been talked about often in the rumor mill with the off-season now here. This was also the case leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline, so he is certainly a player to keep an eye on this summer. With the Lightning needing another skilled winger, he could be a major addition to their roster.

Rakell just had a fantastic 2024-25 season with the Penguins, as he hit new career highs with 35 goals and 70 points in 81 games. With numbers like these, Rakell would give the Lightning's top six and power play a significant boost if acquired. He also could be a good fit playing on a line with Lightning winger Brandon Hagel.

Rakell's contract certainly adds to his appeal, too, as he has an affordable $5 million cap hit until the end of the 2027-28 season. This is undoubtedly a reasonable price for all that the proven top-six forward provides.

Nevertheless, with the Lightning needing another skilled forward, a player like Rakell could grab their attention. It will be interesting to see if they target him from here, but the fit looks good on paper.

Tampa Bay Lightning are preparing for what should be a busy summer. After a short playoff run, it would not be surprising in the slightest if they look to make some new additions to their roster.