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Rickard Rakell
67
RW-L

DOB: 1993/05/05
Age: 30
H/W: 6-2/200/
Salary: $5,000,000
Contract: 2028
Shoots: R
Draft By: ANA
Draft Year: 2011
Draft Round: 1
Draft Selection: 30
McKeen’s 2023-24 Yearbook - Rakell’s first full season with the Penguins saw him float around the top six but primarily find a home affixed to the side of Sidney Crosby. Rakell spent a lot of time in battle areas of the ice creating space for his linemates. He also garnered a lot of second and third opportunities and assisted greatly with increasing the shot volume of his line. Per the All Three Zones project, he was in the 97th percentile of NHL forwards with regard to his impact on in-zone shots. His 28 goals last season were the most he’s scored since the 2017-18 season. He found himself as a regular on the Penguins top power-play unit, especially as a viable net-front option. While no slouch defensively, this hasn’t been his hallmark and he has not killed penalties so far for head coach Mike Sullivan. He has the utility to be able to play alongside either of the top two center options in Pittsburgh due to his straightforward approach and ability to get to the difficult areas. The expectation is that he’ll be back on the top line alongside Crosby again this season, serving in a role that can both grind pucks out and forecheck effectively.

McKeen’s 2022-23 Yearbook - Arriving via trade in March of 2022 from the Ducks for Zach Aston-Reese, a 2nd round draft pick, and goaltending prospect Calle Clang, Rickard Rakell played 19 games for the Penguins in the regular season finishing with 13 points and a variety of roles played throughout the lineup. When all is said and done, the expectation is that Rakell will appear somewhere within the Penguins top-six forward group this season, either alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. This sets Rakell up to have a year of career-highs in multiple offensive categories. Rakell’s time with Crosby last year...

McKeen’s 2023-24 Yearbook - Rakell’s first full season with the Penguins saw him float around the top six but primarily find a home affixed to the side of Sidney Crosby. Rakell spent a lot of time in battle areas of the ice creating space for his linemates. He also garnered a lot of second and third opportunities and assisted greatly with increasing the shot volume of his line. Per the All Three Zones project, he was in the 97th percentile of NHL forwards with regard to his impact on in-zone shots. His 28 goals last season were the most he’s scored since the 2017-18 season. He found himself as a regular on the Penguins top power-play unit, especially as a viable net-front option. While no slouch defensively, this hasn’t been his hallmark and he has not killed penalties so far for head coach Mike Sullivan. He has the utility to be able to play alongside either of the top two center options in Pittsburgh due to his straightforward approach and ability to get to the difficult areas. The expectation is that he’ll be back on the top line alongside Crosby again this season, serving in a role that can both grind pucks out and forecheck effectively.

McKeen’s 2022-23 Yearbook - Arriving via trade in March of 2022 from the Ducks for Zach Aston-Reese, a 2nd round draft pick, and goaltending prospect Calle Clang, Rickard Rakell played 19 games for the Penguins in the regular season finishing with 13 points and a variety of roles played throughout the lineup. When all is said and done, the expectation is that Rakell will appear somewhere within the Penguins top-six forward group this season, either alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. This sets Rakell up to have a year of career-highs in multiple offensive categories. Rakell’s time with Crosby last year proved to be most fruitful. Rakell played a wrecking-ball role in the vein of a Chris Kunitz on the top line, opening space in the tough areas of the ice for Crosby and Jake Guentzel to work their magic offensively. Regardless of what center he appears with; Rakell has shown a willingness to retrieve pucks and take advantage of the open space that can come with playing alongside one of Crosby or Malkin. Rakell also showed a penchant for individual scoring chance creation in his own right, showcasing some high-level stickhandling and puck-carrying capabilities in his time with the Penguins. Fresh off signing a new six-year, $30 million dollar contract, Rakell figures to be a fixture within the top two lines and second power-play unit of the Penguins. It would not be unreasonable to see his goal-scoring ability receive a significant bump this season given the change in his environment. While he may play a puck support and retrieval role, he will have plenty of opportunities to showcase his heavy wrist-shot playing alongside two playmaking centers.

McKeen’s 2021-22 Yearbook - After emerging as an elite finisher from 2015-2018 by scoring on 15% of his shots over 220 games and scoring 87 goals on 67 expected goals, Rakell’s numbers have cratered over the last three seasons. In the three most recent seasons, Rakell’s shooting percentage has been cut nearly in half (8%), resulting in just 42 goals off of 57 expected goals. He's gone from one of the most efficient snipers in the league to finishing at a similar rate to some of the league's better offensive defensemen over a three-year sample. After seeing his powerplay conversion rate dip to a career low 9.7% in 2019-20, Rakell followed it up by scoring zero (0) powerplay goals in 2021 despite firing 50 shots at the net and forcing saves on 28 of them. That certainly can't hold up forever but considering his conversion rates across the board have fallen off a cliff for three seasons, it would be tough to expect a huge bump in 2021-22. Shooting percentage is a notoriously volatile statistic in hockey and when your calling card was once the ability to keep your personal percentage boosted, it's difficult to stay productive when that goes away for whatever reason. Maybe Trevor Zegras will turn into a powerplay playmaking wizard and help Rakell score at a better rate again, but it seems as though his days as an elite sniper are well behind him at this point.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Yearbook - Rather than rebound offensively in 2019-20, Rakell stayed close to his disappointing 2018-19 levels .. shooting percentage dropped to a career-low 8.1% (excluding 2013 and 2013-14 where he was scoreless in a combined 22 games) .. that led to him scoring just 15 goals – his least since 2014-15 .. 5v5 shooting percentage ticked up to 8%, compared to just 6.4% in 2018-19, but his 5v4 shooting percentage fell to 9.7%, which is the worst it’s ever been in a season where he’s played at least 20 games .. IPP of 60.9 suggests that he did suffer some poor puck luck – and lacked skilled components to augment his skillset .. strong stretches from Oct. 8-18 (6-3-4-7), Nov. 5-Dec. 17 (18-7-9-16), Jan. 31-Feb. 6 (4-1-4-5), and Mar. 4-10 (4-2-5-7), undone by runs of ineffective play .. one underwhelming campaign can be seen as an anomaly, but two in a row starts to look like a pattern .. even still, there is potential here for him to bounce back to his old heights.

McKeen's Yearbook 2019-20 - Smart, determined .. creates space with skating prowess and spacious frame .. wide, lunging strides .. sharp lateral cuts and pivoting .. hard, untamed wristshot .. responsible and disciplined – an astute checker .. flows back naturally with the play - initiating the transition upon breakdowns .. tracks back in strong support routes .. a tough season saw his goal output fall below 20 for the first time since his rookie year .. put up 20 points (30-5-15-20) in his first 30 games leading up to a high ankle sprain that cost him 13 games .. played most with Ryan Getzlaf before a fourth quarter shuffle put him up with Jakob Silfverberg while mired in a nine game pointless funk and produced a strong finish– that included a hat trick (17-9-8-17) .. uncharacteristically low 5v5 shooting percentage has room to rebound and get back to that 20-goal level .. still producing well on the power play despite earning points on a smaller percentage of goals .. likely the Ducks scoring leader next season – and will set the pace the for the offense.

McKeen’s 2018-19 Yearbook - Scouting: Cerebral and determined forward creates space with skating prowess and spacious frame .. wide, lunging strides .. reverses directions with slick stop/starts .. sharp lateral cuts and pivoting ability .. hard, untamed wristshot .. roams and patrols as a support in the offensive zone .. developing into a stout checker – with a good stick and wingspan .. flows back naturally with the play - initiating the transition upon breakdowns .. tracks back in strong support routes, displaying sound awareness and positional sense .. slick puckcarrying and 1-on-1 abilities .. goes hard to the net .. competitive F1 forecheck torpedo and proficient working the boards .. responsible and disciplined .. not as instinctive negotiating traffic .. patient buying time and space and letting plays develop .. competitive and versatile. Analysis: Leaped forward in 2016-17, but he still managed to set new career-highs in goals and points in 2017-18 (77-34-35-69) .. had a six-game goal scoring streak from Dec. 21-Jan. 2 (6-7-3-10) .. scored first career hat trick on Feb. 25, which started a six-game point streak (6-8-3-11) .. like the Ducks as a whole, he didn’t contribute much in their four-game first round series to San Jose (4-1-0-1) .. while he reached 33 goals in 2016-17 by posting a very high shooting percentage (18.6%), his success in 2017-18 came from an increase in shots (230, up from 177 in 2016-17) .. 5v5 expected goals differential and on-ice expected goals differential were still high though, suggesting that he over performed .. there’s some risk of regression here, but his role on the Ducks’ top line should help to minimize any dip.

McKeen's 2017-18 Yearbook- Scouting: Cerebral, competitive and determined forward with size, range and mobility, propelled by a wide, lunging stride .. reverses directions quick, complemented by sharp lateral cuts and pivoting ability .. creates space with skating prowess and spacious frame .. hard, but untamed wristshot which he powers through resistance .. keeps feet activated and works tirelessly off the puck .. developing into a stout checker - utilizing his stick and reach advantage proactively .. flows back naturally with the play - with a knack for intercepting plays and initiating the transition, exploiting slick puckcarrying and 1-on-1 abilities .. goes hard to the net – excels as a crease-sitter on the power play - and as an F1 forecheck torpedo .. proficient working the boards .. responsible and disciplined .. tracks back in strong support routes, displaying sound awareness and positional sense .. not as instinctive negotiating traffic .. decision making and play selection can be rushed at times .. patient buying time and space and letting plays develop .. should get better at plowing through physical resistance as his strength and muscles mature .. versatile. Analysis: Set career highs in goals (33) and points (51), eclipsing the 30-goal plateau after inking a six-year, $22.8 million contract as a restricted free agent holdout .. missed the first five games with an abdomen injury, then hit ground running, spending most of the season alongside Ryan Getzlaf (611 mins, 60.4 GF% & 51.1 CF%) .. scored 26 goals at 5v5 – third in the NHL – doubling his iSh% to 19.26% - the highest amongst the top 20 5v5 scorers last season – and an otherwise unsustainable pace .. fired 14% in the playoffs scoring seven times .. missed the last two playoff games courtesy of a high ankle sprain .. signed for another five years at $3.8 million cap hit, looking like a bargain, hitting his potential stride early and seems to have a lock on the top line .. played 2:15 on on the power play in a secondary role .. goals should drop, but points should hold given current company he keeps.

15-16 Report/16-17 Outlook: 23-year old Swedish pivot produced an encouraging sophomore campaign hitting the 20-goal mark while leading the Ducks in 5v5 P/60 (1.90) - the only forward to achieve 1st line baseline .. smart, competitive two-way forward with good size, range and mobility has played his way into the offensive mix – can play wing, adding to the coaching tool box .. posted 1st line equivalent shot-base metrics skating primarily with Corey Perry (56.4 GF% & 54.5 CF% 687 min. 5v5) after a dozen games shuffling through different linemates (12-2-2-4) averaging 12:32 of 5v5 time, leading up to a three-game absence with an upper body injury .. lined up with Perry to the All Star break scoring eight goals (32-8-11-19) and doubling his 5v5 output from seven to 14 goals in 946 minutes (only 170 more minutes but upgraded linemate) firing a 10.14% Sh%, earning points on 69.8% of on-ice goals ..  potted 10 more in the final 28 games (28-10-10-20) .. had his season cut short by six games due to appendicitis – remarkably making it back for Game one of the postseason (7-1-1-2) .. recorded four points at 5v4 in the first 48 games and then six in the final 24 (24-3-3-6), netting a point on team low 36.8% of on-ice goals .. would end with a 2.70 P/60 (replacement level) and a spot that could trigger a significant boost in production next season .. extended a qualifying offer in June .. with a little more power play output he could top 50 points, with 55 within his reach.

2013-14 Report: Continued to make striking gains through a promising first pro season - highlighted by three call-ups to Anaheim including a seven-game NHL debut in November .. joined the Ducks for the final month of the season and appeared in his first four NHL playoff games (4-1-1-2) .. led Norfolk in scoring at the AHL All-Star break (34-10-19-29) - despite missing time on NHL recall plus nearly a month (eight games) to an unspecified January injury .. smart, competitive two-way forward with good size, range and mobility .. propelled by a wide, lunging stride .. reverses direction effortlessly and possesses excellent lateral cutting and pivoting ability .. proficient creating space with his skating prowess and spacious frame, accentuated by large extensions .. packs a hard wristshot .. works tirelessly off the puck, powered by excellent determination .. not a nasty presence, but stays involved in a physical sense .. developing into a stout checker - utilizing his stick and reach advantage proactively .. flows back naturally with the play - and has a knack for intercepting plays and initiating the transition .. responsible and disciplined .. tracks back in strong support routes, displaying sound awareness and positional sense .. shows improving confidence in his puckcarrying and 1-on-1 abilities .. patient buying time and space and letting plays develop, albeit must continue to elevate his playmaking tempo .. should get better at plowing through physical resistance as his strength and muscles mature .. versatile prospect - who can fill specific roles.

2012-13 Report: Cracked the opening roster and made his NHL debut -  appearing in four of Anaheim's first five games .. stayed with the Ducks for an additional two weeks - as a healthy scratch given a fifth game played would have activated the first year of his contract .. returned to the OHL and sparked Plymouth on an 18-1 tear into the playoffs - albeit he sat out the final six regular-season games nursing a minor injury .. arrived at NHL camp right after winning a silver medal with Team Sweden at the U20 World Juniors, and tying for the team scoring lead (6-0-6-6) .. Rakell impresses as a smart and dedicated defensive player - and fit in comfortably on the fourth line - a role he stands a decent chance of inheriting this season .. increasingly more effective operating in traffic and along the boards .. displays a knack for using his body span and pivoting ability to create playmaking space .. however, his long-term interests might be better served by spending his first pro season in the AHL - and working to strengthen various aspects of his game .. can improve as a puckmover and passer - and would also benefit from injecting a meaner edge at certain key times .. let his guard down a few times in the playoffs and got burned - notably by Bo Horvat and the London Knights in the conference finals.

2011-12 ReportDistinguished himself as a 'jack-of-all-trades' in his second season in North America, while hitting career highs .. also a universal part of Sweden's gold medal-winning World Juniors (6-2-3-5), leading the team in faceoff proficiency (64.3%) and firing 35 shots.

Career Stats

Player statistics powered by www.eliteprospects.com

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2007-2008 Spånga IS J18J18 Div.1- - -- -|        
  Spånga IS J20J20 Div.1- - -- -|        
  Spånga ISDivision 224 4 37 12|        
 2008-2009 StockholmRikspucken5 0 44 -|        
  AIK U16U16 SM8 9 514 6|        
  AIK J18J18 Region12 2 35 22|        
  AIK J18J18 Nationell4 0 00 0|        
  Sweden U16 (all)International-Jr8 4 15 4|        
 2009-2010 AIK J18J18 Region18 12 416 8|        
  AIK J18J18 Nationell12 13 1225 10|Playoffs3 2 24
  AIK J20J20 Nationell8 3 14 2|Playoffs2 1 01
  Sweden U17WHC-176 1 12 2|        
  Sweden U17 (all)International-Jr9 7 29 4|        
  Sweden U18 (all)International-Jr4 0 00 0|        
 2010-2011 Plymouth WhalersOHL49 20 2545 12|Playoffs1 0 00
  Sweden U18 (all)International-Jr5 0 22 4|        
  Sweden U20WJC-205 0 33 2|        
  Sweden U20 (all)International-Jr7 0 33 4|        
  Sweden U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup5 0 22 4|        
 2011-2012 Plymouth WhalersOHL60 28 3462 12|Playoffs13 2 1012
  Sweden U20WJC-206 2 35 4|        
  Sweden U20 (all)International-Jr12 4 48 6|        
 2012-2013 Plymouth WhalersOHL40 21 2344 12|Playoffs15 6 915 10 
  Anaheim DucksNHL4 0 00 0|      -
  Sweden U20WJC-206 0 66 16|        
  Sweden U20 (all)International-Jr8 1 67 18|        
 2013-2014 Anaheim DucksNHL18 0 44 2|Playoffs4 1 12
  Norfolk AdmiralsAHL46 14 2337 12|Playoffs1 0 11
 2014-2015 Anaheim DucksNHL71 9 2231 10|Playoffs16 1 01
  Norfolk AdmiralsAHL2 1 34 0|        
 2015-2016 Anaheim DucksNHL72 20 2343 19|Playoffs7 1 12
 2016-2017 Anaheim DucksNHL71 33 1851 12|Playoffs15 7 613
  Sweden (all)International1 0 11 0|        
 2017-2018 Anaheim DucksNHL77 34 3569 14|Playoffs4 1 01
  SwedenWC10 6 814 6|        
  Sweden (all)International10 6 814 6|        
 2018-2019 Anaheim DucksNHL69 18 2543 27|        
 2019-2020 Anaheim DucksNHL65 15 2742 12|        
 2020-2021 Anaheim DucksNHL52 9 1928 12|        
  SwedenWC7 1 12 0|        
  Sweden (all)International7 1 12 0|        
 2021-2022 Anaheim DucksNHL51 16 1228 8|        
  Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL19 4 913 4|Playoffs2 0 00
 2022-2023 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL82 28 3260 16|        
 2023-2024 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL55 10 1828 18|        

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