The Pittsburgh Penguins have dropped Rickard Rakell to the third line with Lars Eller and Valtteri Pusstinen. Pittsburgh – Lars Eller hasn’t been a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins for long, but the former Stanley Cup champion is ready to hit a mark not many players reach. When the puck drops between the Penguins and Montreal Canadiens, it will be Eller’s 1,000th career game. Just his 46th in a Penguins uniform, Eller is most known as a Washington Capital where he played 488 total games and was a huge piece of their 2017 Cup run. Eller also played 435 games with the Canadiens between 2010 and 2016. Eller began was drafted in the first round (13th overall) by the St. Louis Blues in 2007 and played his first seven career games in the NHL during the 2009-10 season. Eller recounted scoring his first career goal in his first career game. “I was lucky enough to score in my own first game,” Eller said. [https://www.nhl.com/penguins/video/off-day-eller-01-25-24-6345574998112] “I remember just being on the ice with (T.J.) Oshie and Erik Johnson assisted. Later on in my career I got to play with both of them.” Oshie was also a crucial piece of that Capitals Cup team in 2017. Johnson and Eller reunited last season when the Capitals dealt Eller to the Colorado Avalanche just before the trade deadline. Eller played 24 of his 1,000 career games with the Avalanche. More than just putting his name among the greats to play 1,000 games, Eller is making history, as well. Known as ‘the Great Dane,’ Eller is set to become the first player from Denmark to ever hit the 1,000 games milestone. “It was a surreal moment come true step into an NHL arena and play an NHL game,” Eller said. “That was not really on the map for me when I grew up. I loved hockey, but to make it to the NHL was not something I really found realistic when I was just a young kid.” Eller noted that as he grew into the game, he realized playing in the NHL was a possibility and ultimately a reality. In his 15th NHL season, Eller is set to become the seventh player from his 2007 draft class to hit 1,000 games and the 13th to hit the mark as a member of the Penguins. He’ll be the 388th player to ever reach the mark, 36th active player, and most importantly first from his native Denmark. “It’s been a fun journey.” Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Penguins Preview: Evgeni Malkin Breaks Through [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-preview-evgeni-malkin-breaks-through] Power Play Again Costs Penguins in Shootout Loss [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/power-play-costs-pittsburgh-penguins-shootout-loss] Penguins Defenseman Untouchable at Trade Deadline [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-marcus-pettersson-untouchable] Analyst Slams Penguins For Evgeni Malkin Deal [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/analyst-slams-pittsburgh-penguins-evgeni-malkin-deal] Penguins Prospect Deserves Bigger Opportunity [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-sam-poulin-bigger-opportunity] * undefined * undefined
