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Rickard Rakell's Return Will Bring Stability to Penguins Lineup

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Penguins
By Nicholas Brlansky | Last updated 12/5/23

The 2023-24 season has not begun according to plan for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The same could be said for forward Rickard Rakell, who is rehabbing an upper-body injury that has held him out of the lineup since November 19th.

Since Rakell's injury, the Penguins are 2-2-3 and have lost back-to-back games to the Philadelphia Flyers. While Rakell hadn't contributed much scoring before his injury, zero goals and four assists in 17 games, his return could be a much-needed spark for a floundering Penguins forward lineup.

The second line has gone dormant in Rakell's absence. Reilly Smith and Evgeni Malkin have combined for four points (1G-3A) and have struggled to create consistent opportunities.

Rakell has begun skating and is traveling with the Penguins on their three-game road trip. The earliest he can return will be December 13th against the Montreal Canadiens.

Rickard Rakell, who is on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury, is with the Penguins on the road and has started to skate. The same goes for Chad Ruhwedel, who's been week-to-week with a lower-body injury. They've both missed six straight games.
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) December 4, 2023

A return from injury and return to form from Rakell would be a welcomed sign for the Penguins' top six. But it would also go a long way in fixing the bottom six. Drew O'Connor would likely rejoin Lars Eller on the third line.

That duo produced tremendous underlying numbers together before Rakell's injury. They outshot opponents 105-78 and created 91 scoring chances while allowing 83. Eller's numbers have significantly dipped since O'Connor moved up to fill the void left by Rakell, and that reunion could mean big things for both players.

Meanwhile, the same goes for Radim Zohorna. With O'Connor, Zohorna scored six points (3G-3A) in 13 games and a 58% expected goals percentage. In seven games since, Zohorna has failed to register a point and has a 48% expected goals percentage.

The Penguins have issues in multiple areas of their lineup, but getting Rakell back from injury could help fill those gaps and get the Penguins back on track.