When Rakell’s Penguins teammates and coaches found out, they couldn’t be happier for a player and person who brings so much to this group, on and off the ice.
“We're thrilled for him. We're certainly proud of him,” Head Coach Mike Sullivan said. “We think he's deserving... I think Raks has just quietly had a really strong season, a consistent game since training camp.”
Rakell reported for training camp ready to put last season behind him. It had been a tough year from a production and injury standpoint for a player who’s been a perennial 20-goal scorer in this league. So, in the summer, Rakell worked with the Penguins performance and strength/conditioning staffs to repurpose his off-ice training, focusing mainly on his quickness and nutrition.
READ MORE: “Committed” Rakell Ready to Return to Form
“Obviously, guys just have years that they don't like, and you got to give him a lot of credit,” said Bryan Rust, the other winger on Pittsburgh’s top line with Sidney Crosby in the middle. “He came back, he worked really hard over the summer. He was in really good shape. He was ready to go this year. And from Game 1, he’s been really good.”
Rakell came out of the gate hot, with three goals in his first five outings and six in his first 11, and has sustained that level of play over these 50-plus games.
"I just wanted to come in with a fresh start and feel like I have to make the team again, going back to my first few years playing in this league,” Rakell said. “Just have that hunger and just show what I can do on the ice. Don't look back after that."
As of Feb. 5, he leads the Penguins with 24 goals, and has picked up 10 points over his last 10 appearances. But Sullivan said Rakell’s play on both sides of the puck has been the most impressive part.
“The offensive side, everybody sees, but he's committed to a lot of the subtleties that, in our mind, adds up to winning,” Sullivan said. “He's playing the game the right way. He's playing on both sides of the puck. He has a hardness to his game. He's stiff on pucks, he's physical, he's willing to block shots, he's playing defense.”
That’s what stood out to Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas the game after Rakell received the tough news from Hornqvist, who’s a scout and development consultant for Florida. Pittsburgh was actually playing the Panthers, and won in overtime.
Rakell picked up an assist in that game, but what stood out to Dubas was the play he made on Marcus Pettersson’s goal, blocking a shot in the defensive zone and getting a clear to Sidney Crosby, who set up the tally.
Since then, Rakell has gone on to rank second among all Swedish NHL players in goals with 14, behind only Toronto’s William Nylander, and third with 30 points behind Filip Forsberg and Lucas Raymond.
Erik Karlsson, set to serve as an alternate captain for Sweden, said Rakell did everything in his power to showcase himself. His efforts have cumulated in a tremendous opportunity.
"Obviously, it was always my goal to make it,” Rakell said. “It was tough to get that phone call to hear that I didn't make it, but that's life. You just got to keep fighting and here we are. Now I finally get the chance. I'm going to try to do the best I can."
