Rickard Rakell Will Bring a Spark to Penguins Bottom-six
It's not a perfect solution, but the Pittsburgh Penguins should see an improvement to their bottom six.
For far too long in the 2022-23 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have had an invisible bottom-six forward group.
With under 10 games remaining, head coach Mike Sullivan made an adjustment that just might push the Penguins in the proper direction.
Sullivan swapped Rickard Rakell and newcomer Mikael Granlund in the lineup, pushing Rakell to the third line and Granlund to the second.
It’s not a huge change, but it just might be enough to give the bottom-six the spark it’s been in desperate need of.
Rakell has shown that no matter where in the lineup he falls, he brings production; he was a steady presence with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel on the first line, but also helped create one of the best second lines in the NHL with Evgeni Malkin and Jason Zucker.
Sure, Ryan Poehling and Danton Heinen don’t have the same kind of firepower, Rakell’s ability should bring the best out of them.
Everywhere Rakell goes, success follows; it’s worth a shot to see if he can bring the same thing to the third line.
However, there are questions about what Granlund can bring to Malkin and Zucker’s line, but there is a chance it works.
Granlund hasn’t been good enough since joining the Penguins, but it’s possible playing with more up-tempo linemates brings out his abilities.
Zucker can clear space and has found phenomenal finishing ability this year and Granlund was brought in to be a playmaker.
Same goes for Malkin, he can finish on chances and just needs to be fed the puck.
This little swap isn’t going to fix all of the Penguins’ issues, but it might be a step in the right direction and exactly what the bottom six needs down the stretch.
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