The Pittsburgh Penguins held on to Rickard Rakell at the trade deadline, but it wasn't for a lack of trying as one Western Conference team tried hard to land him.

Despite a strong seller’s market at the NHL trade deadline Friday, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas did not trade the winger. The reasons to keep Rakell were abundantly clear Friday night in the Penguins’ 4-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Kyle Dubas was busy today as were the general managers of just about every team in the league. Almost every team made at least one deal today, and Dubas made several, including one that sent Cody Glass to the New Jersey Devils.

Rickard Rakell's value may never be higher than it was before the trade deadline. If it's not, Dubas missed an opportunity. Time will tell.

The Pittsburgh Penguins moved out a haul of players for Anaheim Ducks forward Rickard Rakell. At the time, the Penguins were still hoping to compete in the playoffs and win playoff rounds.

The Penguins have nearly lost every game since the 4 Nations Face-Off. They were playing fairly well before that two-week break and theoretically were alive in the playoff race, sitting just 6 points out of a postseason spot. A couple of weeks later, the Penguins are plummeting.

The Penguins take on the Wild in a post-trade deadline matchup. ​Welcome back to NHL Predictions here on Last Word on Hockey! Each day, we provide in-depth analysis, insights, and predictions for all the NHL’s games.

Welcome back to NHL Predictions here on Last Word on Hockey! Each day, we provide in-depth analysis, insights, and predictions for all the NHL’s games.