The Penguins shored up their offense with the acquisition of Rickard Rakell. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Penguins acquire Rickard Rakell in trade with Ducks

By Adam Stites | Last updated 3/21/22

With the playoffs just over a month away, the Pittsburgh Penguins shored up their offense Monday by acquiring forward Rickard Rakell in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks.

The Ducks received forwards Zach Aston-Reese and Dominik Simon, goaltender Calle Clang, and a second-round draft pick in the deal.

Rakell, 28, has spent his entire career with Anaheim after he was picked by the team in the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. In 550 career games with the team, he scored 154 goals with 185 assists. This season, he was tied as the second leading scorer for the Ducks with 16 goals.

In 2016, Rakell signed a six-year, $22.8 million contract extension with the Ducks that is set to expire after the 2021-22 season. While it's possible he's a brief rental for the Penguins, general manager Ron Hextall spoke about the positive impact that Rakell could have on the team's secondary scoring.

Hextall continued: "We like his skill set. He plays with speed and plays a fast game so I think he will fit in quite well... We feel like we are a better team now than we were this morning."
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 21, 2022

Aston-Reese and Simon are both 27 and played limited roles for the Penguins with five goals combined this season. Clang, 19, was a third-round pick in 2020 and currently plays in the Swedish Hockey League.

More must-reads: