The Pittsburgh Penguins made a big splash at the NHL trade deadline, securing a deal for one of the best-available players just before the 3:00 p.m. EST buzzer sounded. According to Frank Seravalli, the Penguins landed longtime Anaheim Duck and former first-round pick Rickard Rakell in a move to buff up the offense ahead of their playoff run.
Hearing #NHLDucks are trading Rickard Rakell to #pens. @DailyFaceoff
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 21, 2022
Rakell has been with the Ducks his entire career, ever since they drafted him with the 30th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. The right winger has played 10 seasons for the team, scoring a total of 154 goals and assisting 185 for a total of 339 points across 550 games.
In 2021-22, Rakell has scored 16 goals and dished out 12 assists for a total of 28 points while featuring in 51 games. While the Ducks aren't entirely out of the playoff race, their chances at making it are extremely low, and thus dealing Rakell for a solid return was the smart move. At 27-26-11, the Ducks are on the outside of the playoff race looking in.
The Penguins will be a great destination for Rakell, who will join up with some talented offensive players which could lead to greater goalscoring opportunities. The Penguins are pushing for a Stanley Cup, and while Rakell is not yet a champion, he's been on a few deep playoff runs throughout his tenure in Anaheim.
Pittsburgh sits at 38-16-9, tied for the second seed in the Metropolitan Division with the New York Rangers at 85 points. The acquisition of Rakell will help the Pens keep up with the Rangers, who also bolstered their offense at Monday's deadline.
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