PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Now that the Pens traded a couple of players, a prospect goalie and a second-round draft pick. Where is forward Rickard Rakell play?
Did Ron Hextall drop a hint Monday after making the announcement by saying he's a top nine or even twelve forward?
The 28-year-old played 51 games for the sixth place Ducks with 16 goals (5 power play), 12 assists and eight penalty minutes. In the last month he's played left wing on the first and second lines, but where does he fit on the Penguins.
The 'Daily Faceoff' projects Rakell on the right side of Evgeni Malkin with Danton Heinen on the left and Bryan Rust back with Sidney Crosby. Here is what they project with the recall of Radim Zohorna on Tuesday morning.
Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
Danton Heinen-Evgeni Malkin-Rickard Rakell
Kasperi Kapanen-Jeff Carter-Evan Rodrigues
The Pens are only holding an optional morning practice before hosting Columbus on Tuesday. We won't see line combinations before the game. We asked Pittsburgh Hockey Now's Dan Kingerski.
"That's the nice thing," Kingerski said Monday. "He could play beside Evgeni Malkin on the left side. He's a right-handed shot, so he has that easy-access one-timer for Malkin. If that chemistry doesn't work, you can drop him down to play with Jeff Carter and eventually place Jason Zucker (injured reserve) up with Malkin. You have options."
There was a time where Rickard Rakell was a top-line left winger in Anaheim with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. The Swedish native had 33 goals and 51 points in the 2016-17 season and 34 goals and 69 points in the 2017-18 season. His final two full seasons with the Ducks, he managed only 85 points combined.
He's not trending to be a top-line center again. Rakell had a 21-game scoreless streak midway through this season. He is intriguing being a right-hand shot on the left side. Rakell is described as a high-skill player, good on his skates who can finish.
He's played on Swedish national teams before and has good hands and can see the ice. Not a rah-rah guy, he is pretty even keeled and can handle pressure. He's not an answer to a player parking in front of the net, but he's more dangerous on the rush.
It's unlikely Mike Sullivan will give up his line combinations before hosting the Blue Jackets. We may just find out when the puck drops.
