The Pittsburgh Penguins got some great news on Rickard Rakell on Friday.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting forward Rickard Rakell back sooner than expected.
A little over a week after 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.
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 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.
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