Penguins Update: What to Do About Rickard Rakell?

Ten games into a decidedly mixed bag start to the season, some things have gone as planned for our Penguins while others have gone awry.

On the negative side of the ledger? Despite a near 50 percent turnover in personnel we’re still making many of the same old mistakes that plagued us last season. Chief among them, a lack of consistency and attention to detail, leading to defensive lapses. Depth scoring issues, finishing woes and spotty goaltending have also contributed to our uneven 4-6 start.

On the plus side? We’re getting plenty of production from our top two lines. Boosted by our recent goal-fest against the hapless Sharks, five of our top-six forwards are averaging better than a point per game. Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel are on pace for 107 points apiece! Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust and newcomer Reilly Smith, 90 points each!

Impressive indeed.

The glaring exception? Rickard Rakell. With no goals and a meager three assists through 10 games, the silky Swede’s been colder than a mackerel hauled from the north Atlantic. Almost unthinkable for a proven scorer who’s topped the 30-goal mark twice during his career and 20 goals on three other occasions, including 28 last season for the black and gold.

Indulge me while I shift gears for a moment. An exclusive relationship is defined as an arrangement where both parties agree to focus on each other and not see other people.

I submit that Rakell’s linemates, Malkin and Smith, have an exclusive on-ice relationship, or darn near. They’ve developed an extraordinary chemistry in the brief time they’ve skated together. They seem to instinctively look for each other on the ice and it’s almost as if they can read each other’s minds.

Although he’s certainly had a hand in the line’s success, I can’t help but feel Rakell more often than not is the odd-man out. Or the third wheel on a bicycle, if you will.

A contributing factor to his scoring slump? Rakell’s been bumped off the top power-play unit. Last season he tied for the club lead with 11 power-play tallies. This season…none. He’s also received the lowest average ice time (15:31) of any of the top-six forwards, down nearly three full minutes from last season.

So how do we get him going?

Last season coach Mike Sullivan frequently flip-flopped Rakell and Rust between the top two lines. To my eye, Rakell has better chemistry with Crosby, an observation supported to a degree by Natural Stat Trick. Sid’s line performed slightly better in terms of Corsi and Expected Goals for Percentage with Rakell, while Geno’s line performed better with Rust.

Is it time to make a switch?

Wow, that’s a tough one. The Guentzel-Crosby-Rust trio has been terrific thus far. Do you risk possibly disrupting your top two lines in order to get one player going?

Another suggestion. One that admittedly comes from left field. Since Malkin and Smith have forged such a tight on-ice bond, do you move a non-scorer to their wing? Say Noel Acciari? A development akin to placing Dominik Simon on Crosby’s flank a few years back.

Rakell, who can play either wing, would then be bumped to a reconfigured third line with Lars Eller and Radim Zohorna. Similarly snakebitten, Drew O’Connor would join Vinnie Hinostroza and Matt Nieto on the fourth line.

Or do you just leave things the way they are hope RikRak breaks out?

Wish I had the answer.

One thing’s for sure. We need a productive Rakell if we’re going to challenge for a playoff spot.

Freed (man) in Vancouver

Along with a host of other former Pens, Mark Friedman is alive and well in Vancouver and skating a regular turn on the Canucks’ third defense pairing. While his numbers aren’t flashy (one assist in eight games) he’s been on the ice for six 5v5 goals for and only two against.

On the flip side, going back through last season, Chad Ruhwedel’s been on the ice for 24 5v5 goals for and 30 against. In the wake of the veteran’s struggles, the Pens are obviously holding auditions for a replacement. Which makes trading Friedman so baffling.

He’s five years younger than Ruhwedel, faster, feistier, and does a better job on his off side.

There are some moves I just don’t get.

Oil Skid

We think we’re off to a bad start. But it’s nothing compared to the Oilers’ abysmal 2-7-1 stumble out of the blocks.

It’s even affected twin supernovas Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The former is goalless in five games, the latter seven.

Unthinkable.

“The mental mistakes that keep costing us over and over again made us chase the game,” McDavid noted following a dismal 5-2 loss to Nashville. “It’s like death by a thousand cuts, that is what it feels like. One mistake and it costs us, and another little mistake and it just snowballs. It is tough to chase games.”

If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was describing a certain local hockey team that shall go nameless.