Penguins A to Z: Rickard Rakell can be part of the franchise's rebound

With the Pittsburgh Penguins entering the offseason for a third consecutive year without a playoff appearance, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 58 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until future seasons — with the organization.

Starting with Noel Acciari and going on through to Philip Tomasino (regrettably, there is no Z on the payroll), every player will be profiled in alphabetical order.

This series is scheduled to be published Mondays through Saturdays leading up until June 26, a day before the start of the NHL Draft. In the event of a transaction, that schedule will be altered as necessary.

(Note: All contract information courtesy of Puckpedia.)

Rickard Rakell

Position: Right winger

Shoots: Right

Age: 32

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 191 pounds

2024-25 NHL statistics: 81 games, 70 points (35 goals, 35 assists), 19:18 of average ice time per contest

Contract: In the third year of a six-year contract with a salary cap hit of $5 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2028

(This contract contains a modified no-trade clause that allows Rakell to submit a list of eight teams he would not accept a trade to.)

Acquired: Trade, March 21, 2022

This season: Things looked different for Rickard Rakell entering 2024-25.

Namely, he wasn’t wearing a cumbersome brace for an achy right shoulder that hindered him throughout an unappetizing 2023-24 campaign.

With the benefit of health, Rakell enjoyed what, by most measures, was the greatest season of his career.

Opening the season on the right wing of the second line, Rakell raced out to a fairly quick start, leading the team with six goals in the first 11 games of the season.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Rickard Rakell with 04:29 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby.

Pittsburgh: 2
Minnesota: 0#MINvsPIT #LetsGoPens #mnwild pic.twitter.com/qgvHA4DUPr

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 29, 2024

Rakell never surrendered his lead in the Penguins’ goal-scoring race, even as the squad largely struggled to string wins together.

Things only got better for Rakell’s production in late October when he was promoted to the top line next to franchise center Sidney Crosby after an injury sidelined incumbent right winger Bryan Rust. And even once Rust returned to the lineup in mid-November, Rakell slid to the left wing of the same line.

Being deployed on that line as well as on the top power-play unit allowed Rakell to consistently collect goals while the team struggled.

Rakell was particularly potent from Nov. 27-Dec. 28 when he posted 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) over 14 games. Not coincidentally, that was one of the more successful sequences of the season for the Penguins, who were 9-4-1 during that stretch.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Rickard Rakell with 15:20 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby.

Montreal: 2
Pittsburgh: 4#PITvsMTL #GoHabsGo #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/MeJMAMrLN4

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) December 13, 2024

A late addition to Sweden’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off exhibition tournament in February, Rakell appeared in two games during that event and did not record a point.

While the Penguins limped through the final month of a third consecutive playoff-free season, Rakell maintained his potent production, contributing 22 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in his final 25 games.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Rickard Rakell with 01:56 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby.

Colorado: 1
Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsCOL #GoAvsGo #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/IA42jOHxzc

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 5, 2025

He even showed off some versatility by skating as the second-line center for a handful of games while Evgeni Malkin nursed an injury.

The future: Just given where the Penguins are as a competitive entity — i.e. they aren’t competitive in any meaningful fashion — there has been plenty of speculation as to his future.

After Rakell remained with the team following the trade deadline on March 7, Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas explained why he kept the versatile scoring winger instead of dealing him away for a bundle of future assets.

“You don’t just push that out the door because that may be what’s wanted,” Dubas said. “You have to do what’s right for the Pittsburgh Penguins. And for us, having Rickard Rakell as part of the Pittsburgh Penguins was definitely the right thing to do as we measured it up against everything. We’re happy to have him, he’s a big part of what we do and I know he really wants to be here.”

Regardless, rumors will persist about Rakell this upcoming offseason as Dubas continues to rebuild the roster.

The Penguins are far from being a contender — i.e. a threat to win a championship — next season. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be a good, playoff-worthy team. Rakell, as evidenced by his own rebound, can be a major part of the franchise’s rebound.