The Rangers have shown "increased interest" lately in trading for Anaheim Ducks winger Rickard Rakell, reports Arthur Staple of The Athletic.

According to The Athletic, it could take a first-round pick to acquire Rakell.

Rakell, 28, is earning $3.8 million this season (with a nearly identical cap hit), and is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

The above should make Rakell a lot less costly to acquire than someone like Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller, who still has a year of team control remaining beyond this season.

Rakell has 15 goals and 11 assists in 46 games this season for the Ducks, who are three points back of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.

Adding Rakell or a similar player would help the Rangers add some scoring to a third line that has struggled to get much going offensively.

Rakell is not the player he was when he had back-to-back 30-plus goal seasons in 2016-17 and 2017-18, but he is on pace to score the most goals he had since tallying 18 during the 2018-19 season. And he would be a serious offensive upgrade over current wingers like Greg McKegg, Julien Gauthier, and Ryan Reaves.

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