Penguins forward Rickard Rakell went right after going left

A position-by-position look at the Penguins as they approach training camp. Today, the left wingers.

Things went right for Rickard Rakell last season.

All he had to do was go left.

Primarily deployed as a right winger through most of his tenure with the Penguins, Rakell was moved to the left wing of a dazzling top line — including center Sidney Crosby as well as Bryan Rust at right wing — and rebounded from a rough 2023-24 season by posting career highs in goals (35) and points (70).

Rakell’s return to that station (or even his continued employment with the franchise) is hardly guaranteed. But he is clearly the club’s best option at left wing.

An intriguing option is rookie Rutger McGroarty, one of the organization’s top prospects.

A power forward by nature, McGroarty went through some growing pains in his first professional season, primarily with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Steady growth led to a late-season recall and an immediate assignment next to Crosby, in which McGroarty appeared to embrace with comfort. An unspecified injury late in the offseason clouds things for McGroarty, however.

Fellow rookie Ville Koivunen also got some time on Crosby’s wing last season but he spent most of the season skating on the right wing with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Regardless of position, the sinewy Koivunen was productive during his NHL cup of coffee, posting seven assists in eight games.

A real wild card in this mix is Tommy Novak. The Penguins acquired Novak from the Nashville Predators via trade on March 5 and briefly experimented with him on the left wing on a line with All-Star center Evgeni Malkin.

To be clear, “brief” came in the form of one game as an undisclosed ailment sidelined Novak for the final 16 games of the season.

While listed as a center, he has ample experience on the left wing, having lined up on the port side in 16 games for the Predators. Potentially, he could share (relieve, really) some of the center duties with Malkin (such as faceoffs) if the two are conjugated again.

Conor Dewar arrived in a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs two days after Novak and took advantage of an increased workload. Ideally, Dewar will be deployed on the third line but he showed a reasonable level of competence on the second line as a temporary fill-in and even offered utility as a penalty killer with his tenacity and physicality.

Another versatile candidate is Danton Heinen, who returned to the Penguins in a trade with the Canucks on Feb. 1. Heinen is far from spectacular but he can play both wings and has a track record of producing, albeit sporadically. He will find playing time if only because injuries will always create opportunities for him.

The same applies to Kevin Hayes, who offered reasonable production through assignments at all three forward spots. Ditto offseason free agent acquisition Anthony Mantha, who has occasionally moonlighted as a left winger in his NHL career.

One of the biggest question marks on the roster, regardless of position, is Filip Hallander.

Capable of playing both wings, Hallander was spectacular last season skating for Timra IK, finishing second in the Swedish Hockey League with 53 points (26 goals, 27 assists).

The Penguins initially drafted Hallander in the second round (No. 58 overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft with hopes he could be a sturdy defensive winger in a bottom-six role. He might have graduated into something more in Sweden.

After a career year at the AHL level in 2024-25, Sam Poulin might have his best and last chance to finally carve out a full-time NHL role. A first-round pick (No. 21 overall) in 2019, Poulin’s development finally gained sufficient traction as he compiled 43 points (19 goals, 24 assists) in 57 games.

Given his size (6-foot-2, 227 pounds), physical nature and the team’s other options, Poulin — who can play all three forward positions — could be an ideal candidate for a bottom-six role.

Speaking of physical, Boko Imama returns after a right biceps injury prematurely ended his 2024-25 season in late March.

There is nothing complex about his game. He will hit, fight and bring energy. While limited, his presence was greatly valued by teammates and management.

Valtteri Puustinen appears to be close to exhausting all his opportunities with the club. Capable of playing both wings, he needs to find a way to translate his AHL production into reliable results at the NHL level.

Joona Koppanen and Rafael Harvey-Pinard are viable break-glass-in-case-of-emergency options should considerable injuries deplete the lineup.