Rickard Rakell had a tough 2023 season. He was setback with injuries and he generally just did not have it and looked off last season. But that does not seem to be the case this year, as he looks like he is going to score a ton of goals and help a ton on the offensive side of the puck.
How do his 2023 Season and 2024 Season compare so far?
Well for his 2023 season, he only played 70 out of 82 games, and he tallied 15 goals and 22 assists with a total of 37 points. Which that is not great considering he was hurt and he was constantly flip flopped up to the Crosby line and back down to the Malkin line last season.
He was struggling to find his shot and went away from the Rakell that we all know and were expecting to see. Now when it comes to hsi 2024 season so far, it is a way different story.
In eight games so far this season, Rakell has tallied 4 goals and 1 assist with a total of 5 points. That is pretty good considering he only tallied 15 goals last season and already has 4 this season.
Rakell has looked great with Evgeni Malkin to begin the year and that really helps as Rakell also has chemistry with Sidney Crosby and can play up on his line as well.
As Mentioned, Rakell can play either on Line 1 with Crosby or Line 2 with Malkin
Rakell is one of those players that is insanely skilled. You can stick him with Crosby who he has really good chemistry with, and he will produce.
You can also stick him with Malkin who he has really good chemistry with, and he will also produce. You can not go wrong with putting him on either line.
Rakell, Malkin, and Bunting are a nice trio and play well together. They were the main reason that the Penguins almost made the playoffs last season and barely missed by a couple points.
Look for Rakell's Hot Start to Continue as the Season Goes On
It seems very likely that Rakell will continue this hot streak of his and surpass last year's total of 15 goals. He has looked like himself and he is healthy and is ready to continue to produce for this Penguins team.