The Penguins made a major acquisition yesterday on NHL trade deadline day, picking up winger Rickard Rakell from Anaheim in exchange for wingers Zach Aston-Reese and Dominick Simon, 2020 third round draft draft choice goaltender Calle Clang, and a second round choice in this year’s draft.
Rackell has played his entire career with the Ducks after being drafted in the first round in 2011. He has scored 16 goals with 12 assists this season in 51 games. He has twice scored thirty goals in a season. Rakell has missed the last three Anaheim games with an undisclosed injury, but he is expected to play tonight for the Penguins against Columbus.
He will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
General manager Ron Hextall says Rakell is a good fit for the Penguins.
Hextall says Rakell brings some needed scoring depth to a lineup that has been lacking it lately.
The Pens’ GM says putting together a trade with so many different components wasn’t easy.
The Penguins also picked up depth defenseman Nathan Beaulieu from Winnipeg for a seventh round draft choice. They assigned winger Radim Zohorna to Wilkes Barre-Scranton in a procedural move, but it’s expected that will be short term for salary cap reasons.
While Beaulieu is known to mix it up with his fists, coach Mike Sullivan says fighting is not the only way a team shows its toughness, especially in today’s NHL.
2017 Penguins third round draft pick defenseman Clayton Phillips yesterday signed an amateur/tryout contract with Wilkes-Barre Scranton. He just completed his senior season at Penn State, where he had five goals and seven assists. The Pens have until August 15th to sign him to an NHL contract or lose him as a free agent.
The Pens and Blue Jackets face off at 7 tonight at PPG Paints Arena. You’ll hear the game on WCCS due to the IUP game airing on U92. Pregame starts at 6.
