The Pittsburgh Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins] are getting forward Rickard Rakell back sooner than expected. A little over a week after [https://x.com/PenguinsPR/status/1996360769047581087] Penguins general manager and president Kyle Dubas said that Rakell was three to four weeks away from a return, he was activated on Friday and was at practice. He figures to return on Saturday when the Penguins host the San Jose Sharks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks]. This will be a significant boost to the lineup, as Rakell is one of the Penguins' best players. He suffered a hand injury during the Penguins' 5-4 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets] on Oct. 25. He had compiled three goals and eight points in nine games before getting hurt. There's a chance that he could be the Penguins' second-line center while Evgeni Malkin is still week-to-week since Kevin Hayes has been struggling in that spot. Rakell's return will also help the power play since he has a really strong release. The Penguins have lost three in a row and are 14-8-7 going into Saturday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwquDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
