Rakell was a defenseman in his native Sweden during his formative hockey years. That helped him develop a strong two-way game before being moved up front, where he can showcase his offensive creativity and quick shot.
A first-round pick (No. 30) of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2011 NHL Draft, he can play all three forward positions. Though he's 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, Rakell's game relies less on physical play and more on a combination of smooth skating, accurate passing and puck-cycling ability.
A 19-year-old Rakell made the Ducks' opening-night roster for the 2012-13 season and averaged 8:57 of ice time in four games before being returned to Plymouth, his junior team in the Ontario Hockey League.
He split the 2013-14 season between Anaheim and Norfolk of the American Hockey League, playing in 18 NHL games and earning his first point with an assist in a 6-2 victory against the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 8, 2013. Rakell made his NHL playoff debut on April 23, 2014, when he dressed for Game 4 of the Ducks' Western Conference First Round series against the Dallas Stars. He scored his first NHL goal in Anaheim's 6-2 victory in Game 5 and finished with a goal and an assist in four playoff games.
Rakell, still officially a rookie for the 2014-15 season, scored his first regular-season goal in Anaheim's 3-2 overtime win against the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 22, 2014. He tied a franchise rookie record with four points (two goals and two assists) in a 5-4 win against the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 11, 2015, and finished the season tied for ninth among all NHL rookies with 22 assists. He had one point, a goal, in 16 playoff games during Anaheim's run to the Western Conference Final.
In 2015-16, Rakell was used primarily as Anaheim's third-line center, although he also spent some time as the left wing on the top line with center Ryan Getzlaf and right wing Corey Perry and looked comfortable playing a different position. He finished tied for third on the Ducks with 20 goals, led the team with seven game-winning goals, was fourth with 43 points and third among Anaheim forwards with 121 hits. He had a goal, an assist and 13 shots during Anaheim's loss to the Nashville Predators in their Western Conference First Round playoff series.
Team Sweden added Rakell as an injury replacement for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He was a member of Sweden's gold medal-winning team at the 2012 World Junior Championship, contributing two goals and five points in six games. In 2013, he had six assists to help Sweden win the silver medal.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (2018)
