PITTSBURGH – Entering the 2023-24 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins put a lot of trust into key forwards like Reilly Smith and Rickard Rakell. With the NHL’s trade deadline under two weeks away, not only have the Penguins not gotten a great year out of either forward, but they might finish the season on a different team.
Smith and Rakell have seen their names pop up on a few different trade boards as the Penguins sit in a precarious position. They are still in the playoff hunt but could easily slip out of the race.
While the Penguins haven’t decided on a direction of buying or selling, they still need the most out of guys like Smith and Rakell while they’re still in the lineup.
Smith never settled in successfully alongside Evgeni Malkin, and it’s held them back from succeeding. In 48 games played, Smith scored only 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 total points. He’s on pace for just 16 goals, which would be the fewest he’s scored in a full 82-game season since his last year with the Florida Panthers.
Rakell, meanwhile, has been snake-bitten all year and is currently riding a second goalless streak of well past 10 games. His first goal of the season came in his 20th game played, while he enters the contest against the Philadelphia Flyers without a goal in 15 straight.
Head coach Mike Sullivan has been talking with Rakell throughout the year and continuing to give him opportunities to succeed.
“We’re trying to support Raks in every way we can,” Sullivan said. “Trying to help him capture his best game.”
Rakell fumbled around in the middle six for a few weeks when Jake Guentzel suffered an upper-body injury. Rakell was Guentzel’s replacement on the first line, giving him a great chance to find a rhythm.
In his most recent games next to Sidney Crosby, Rakell has looked better with a handful of assists, but the goal-scoring needs to be uncovered. Sullivan made it clear that he wants Rakell to not focus solely on breaking the tough stretch but play within himself and look for other ways to contribute.
“When players go through struggles to score, the best approach is to take the focus off the scoring,” Sullivan said. “Playing the game the right way. Winning puck battles, being good on the wall, getting in on the forecheck, going to the net front. When you focus on those details, the byproduct is he’s going to get some looks, and if he gets the looks, he’ll score.”
Whether the Penguins keep or trade Rakell, they need him to find some offense. If he scores and helps the Penguins win, he’ll help with the possible payoff push. If he starts producing but is still being sold, the Penguin can net a higher return.
The same goes for Smith, who already looked like a failed experiment in Pittsburgh.
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