Rickard Rakell Ready To Breakthrough For The Anaheim Ducks

Every player selected in the first round of the NHL draft comes with a different time table, a different estimated time of arrival to the NHL. Some are expected to play at the NHL level right away while others may come as a two to three year project before they are ready to play in the NHL. No matter the scenario, every prospect is different.

There are also players who appear ready to make the jump to the NHL but when they finally do, they struggle. Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell was one of those players that struggled at first.

Rakell was taken 30th overall by the Ducks during the 2011 entry draft.

He spent the 2011-2012 season with his juniors club, the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League because the Ducks knew he was not ready to jump to the AHL or NHL level yet. He put up 62 points in 60 games with Plymouth.

He once again started the 2012-2013 season in Plymouth before appearing in 4 games with the Ducks in mid January of 2013. He did not record a point during those 4 games with Anaheim and returned to Plymouth afterward. He recorded 44 points in 40 games with Plymouth during the ’12-’13 season.

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The 2013-2014 season was the first real chance Rakell got with the Ducks. He appeared in 7 games during the month of November, producing just 1 assist during those 7 games. He was then sent down to Norfolk of the AHL where he had a nice stat line of 37 points in 46 games before being recalled by the Ducks in March of 2014 and appeared in 22 games to end the Ducks season.

The 2014-2015 season was a do or die situation for Rakell. If he didn’t show signs of being able to contribute at the NHL level, he was likely going to be apart of a trade deadline deal as the Ducks looked to make their push toward the playoffs once again. Rakell was in a battle with William Karlsson for the Ducks 4th center slot. With Getzlaf, Kesler and Thompson playing well, the Ducks were hoping that either Rakell or Karlsson would show flashes of brilliance and make the decision an easy one, ending the search for the 4th center.

The ’14-’15 season started off just as Rakell’s other stints with the Ducks did, slow and consisting of little contributions. Neither Rakell or Karlsson stepped up to earn the 4th center spot and it left a big hole in the Ducks lineup. Rakell’s continued slow start created problems.

During Rakell’s first 17 games with the Ducks during the ’14-’15 season, he produced 0 goals and just 3 assists.

He was sent down to Norfolk once again and it almost felt as though that would be the last time you were going to see Rakell in a Ducks uniform.

After being sent down he appeared in 2 games with Norfolk. In the first game on December 2nd, he scored the game winning goal in overtime to go along with 2 assists. He added another assist in a December 5th game against Springfield and he was recalled by the Ducks shortly after.

What happened next was what the Ducks had finally been waiting for, the emergence of Rickard Rakell.

His first game back with the Ducks was on December 7th and he would go on to appear in 53 more games including every playoff game.  In his 54 regular season games after his recall on December 6th, Rakell finally found his confidence and was arguably one of the Ducks 5 best forwards during those 54 games.

The stats don’t lie….

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It was as if Rakell was a different player after being sent down to Norfolk in early December, it almost appeared to be a wake up call for him.

From January 2012 to December 6, 2014, Rakell produced  just 1 goal and 8 assists in 43 games with the Ducks. After his recall from Norfolk, December 6, 2014 to April 11, 2015(last day of the ’14-’15 regular season), Rakell produced 9 goals and 19 assists in 54 games.

For every young player trying to contribute and make a name for himself, it’s all about confidence. Confidence to make a play with the puck goes a long way and once you find that confidence, it changes you as a player.

Rakell found his confidence and it sparked his play for the first time. The numbers are great to look at but it was his on ice confidence that was remarkable. He was making plays that he had never made before.

Everyone remembers his career game against the Winnipeg Jets on Teemu Selanne tribute night. The kid went off for 2 goals and 2 assists, tying the Ducks rookie record for points in a game. Heres the link to a ridiculous goal Rakell scored to tie the game with about 2 minutes to go. He taps the puck between his legs before getting it back onto his stick and sliding it in to score an insane goal. On a night where the Ducks honored one of the greatest forwards to ever play the game, Rakell stole the show and put his name on the map.

We now know which category of prospect that Rakell fell into, he was one of those young prospects that needed a couple of years to develop before his game was going to translate to the NHL level.

When Rakell returned from Norfolk on December 6th it was as if he was making a statement, to show that he should never be sent down again.

Rakell is poised to have a breakthrough season with the Ducks next year and it couldn’t have come at a better time for him as his entry level contract expires next summer.

If Rakell continues to trend upward as he did during the final months of last season, he and his agent will be the ones dictating contract extension talks with Ducks GM Bob Murray.

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