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Penguins' Rickard Rakell: Plates pair of helpers in win
Rotowire
Rakell distributed two assists and placed four shots on net in Thursday's 4-1 win over New Jersey.
Rakell chipped in on goals scored by Erik Karlsson on Connor Dewar for Pittsburgh's first two tallies of Thursday's contest. With the pair of helpers, Rakell is up to 11 assists, 17 points, 63 shots on net, 32 hits and 21 blocks through 22 games this season. The 32-year-old forward has built up a three-game point streak, which is the longest since his return from a hand injury in mid-December. While the aforementioned injury will likely keep him from replicating the career year he had a season ago, he remains a cash cow for steady all-around production, as he is averaging nearly a point, three shots on goal, one-and-a-half hits and a block per game when healthy. His role on Pittsburgh's top line should give him a strong chance to reach the 45-point mark, which would salvage a season riddled with an injury and give him solid fantasy value in standard formats moving forward.
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Penguins' Rickard Rakell: Scores late equalizer
Rotowire
Rakell scored a goal in Sunday's 5-4 overtime win over the Blue Jackets.
Rakell has scored in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Even though injuries have limited him to only 21 games so far, he hasn't exactly set the world on fire with his performances and has earned a mere 15 points (six goals, nine assists) overall.
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Penguins' Rickard Rakell: Gets goal in win
Rotowire
Rakell scored an empty-netter in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Red Wings.
Rakell has 14 points (five goals, nine assists) and 54 shots on net in 20 games this season. The pace is well off his 35-goal, 70-point production from last season, but that came with an unsustainable 17.2 shooting percentage. He has also struggled to find his groove since his return in mid-December from a broken left hand. Rakell has just two goals on 37 shots and four assists in 11 games. That left hand is his top hand, and he returned on the short end of a six-to-eight week recovery from surgery. He has 10 shots in his last two games, and that may make him a sneaky waiver grab.
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Penguins' Rickard Rakell: One of each in shootout win
Rotowire
Rakell scored a power-play goal on four shots, added an assist and logged two hits in Sunday's 4-3 shootout win over the Canadiens.
Rakell played a part in a historic night for Sidney Crosby, helping out on the captain's goal before scoring the tally Crosby assisted on to set the Penguins' franchise points record. Over six games since returning from a hand injury, Rakell has a goal and three helpers, as well as 22 shots on net and 13 hits. The versatile forward is up to 12 points (five on the power play), 39 shots on net, 22 hits, 16 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating through 15 contests this season.
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Penguins' Rickard Rakell: Earns helper in second game back
Rotowire
Rakell registered an assist, three hits, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Sunday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Mammoth.
Rakell was playing in his second game after returning from a long-term hand injury. He's immediately slotted back into a top-six role with ice time in all situations, so fantasy managers shouldn't hesitate to activate him. He's earned nine points, 20 shots on net, 13 hits, 13 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over 11 outings this season.
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Penguins' Rickard Rakell: Activated off injured reserve
Rotowire
Rakell (hand) was taken off injured reserve Friday.
Rakell will return to the lineup versus the Sharks on Saturday and figures to slot back into a first-line role alongside Sidney Crosby. Prior to his 20-game stint on injured reserve, the Swedish winger was rolling offensively with three goals and five helpers in the first nine games of the year. In addition to joining Crosby on the top line, Rakell figures to also slot into the No. 1 power-play unit.
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Penguins' Rickard Rakell: Cleared for contact
Rotowire
Rakell (hand) rejoined the Penguins for practice Tuesday and has been cleared to start taking contact, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports.
Rakell won't be ready to return against the Ducks on Tuesday, but his return to practice clears the way for him to potentially be ready to face the Habs on Thursday. Prior to getting hurt, the winger was producing offensively with three goals and five assists in nine contests. Whenever Rakell is given the all-clear, he should retake his place on the first line alongside Sidney Crosby.
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Penguins' Rickard Rakell: Will miss at least three more weeks
Rotowire
Rakell's (hand) return timeline was updated Wednesday, and he is expected to return in 3-4 weeks.
Rakell is trending toward the latter half of his initial 6-8 week timeline, which came after he underwent surgery in late October. At this point, don't expect Rakell to be back prior to the holiday break. Once healthy, he'll likely fill a top-six role with ice time in all situations.
Rakell (hand) was designated for injured reserve Monday.
Rakell is expected to be out for 6-8 weeks after undergoing hand surgery, which will see him sidelined until mid-to-late December. With the 32-year-old Swede on the shelf, Filip Hallander looks set to get the first crack at playing on the top line with Sidney Crosby -- though Ville Koivunen and Benjamin Kindel could also get looks.
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Penguins' Rickard Rakell: Undergoes hand surgery
Rotowire
Rakell had surgery on his left hand, and he will be out six-to-eight weeks, the team announced Sunday.
Rakell departed Saturday's game against the Blue Jackets early and didn't return, and he'll be out with the injury he sustained for six-to-eight weeks. The 32-year-old was off to a great start this season, registering eight points (three goals, five assists) in nine games. With his exit from the lineup for the foreseeable future, it's a major opportunity for guys like Ville Koivunen, who was recalled by the team earlier Sunday, to make an impact in a larger NHL role.
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Penguins' Rickard Rakell: Sustains injury late Saturday
Rotowire
Rakell (undisclosed) didn't finish Saturday's game versus the Blue Jackets, and there was no update on his status after the contest, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports.
Rakell left the game in the third period, which could explain the lack of an update. The 32-year-old is a key player for the Penguins and has racked up eight points through nine outings. The Penguins' next game is Monday at home versus the Blues before they head out on a four-game road trip.
Penguins' Rickard Rakell: Hot streak continues Thursday
Rotowire
Rakell had a goal and an assist in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Panthers.
Rakell's goal made it 2-0 early in the second period, as he knocked in a rebound in the low slot. Rakell is on a five-game, six-point scoring streak that includes two goals and seven shots. Overall, he has put up eight points (three goals, five assists) in eight games this season. Rakell put up career numbers (35 goals, 35 assists; 81 games) at age 31 last season, and this start looks like that excellence has carried over to 2025-26.
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Penguins' Rickard Rakell: Bags goal in loss
Rotowire
Rakell scored a goal on two shots and added two PIM in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Ducks.
Rakell has two goals and an assist through four contests this season. He got a piece of a Ryan Shea shot to put the Penguins ahead 2-0 at 7:01 of the first period. Rakell can be streaky on offense, but at his best, he offers high-end category coverage while playing in a top-six role. He's collected 10 shots on net, six hits, six blocked shots and a minus-2 rating to begin 2025-26.
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Penguins' Rickard Rakell: Two points against Isles
Rotowire
Rakell scored a goal and added an assist, both on the power play, in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Islanders.
The 32-year-old opened the scoring early in the first period, tucking home a backhand from the slot to finish off a scramble in front of Ilya Sorokin, and Rakell then helped set up a Sidney Crosby tally midway through the second. Rakell is coming off a career-best 2024-25 season that included nine goals and 19 points on the power play, and while Pittsburgh's overall roster may be shaky, skating on the top PP unit with Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang should allow him to maintain a strong fantasy floor.
