Ducks 2017-18 Player Review - Rickard Rakell

With the upcoming season quickly approaching, AnaheimDucks.com is featuring a different Ducks player throughout the month of August (in numerical order). This annual Player Review series will highlight key stats while also keeping an eye on the 2018-19 campaign. Next up is left wing Rickard Rakell.

Rickard Rakell is firmly on the map of this game's most exciting young talent.
The Swedish scorer proved his goal-scoring output from 2016-17 was no fluke. Skating again on the team's top line, Rakell finished with a new career-high 34 goals. He also set career highs in points (69) and assists (35), skating in a career-best 77 games.
Digging into the advanced statistics, it's not surprising Rakell maintained - and improved - on his breakthrough 2016-17 campaign. Over the last two seasons, he's posted 1.51 goals/60 and over 2 primary points/60 (goals + first assists) at even strength. His shot contributions - or shots, in simpler terms - ranked him near the 80th percentile among all players on the roster. The 59% offensive zone starts tend to help as well. Put a scorer on the ice in a position to score, and you're giving him his best chance to succeed.
Last season looks more impressive with the amount of talent missing in the team's first few months. Despite skating without Ryan Getzlaf, Rakell kicked off the season with seven points in 11 games. He only increased his production from there, collecting a point-per-game in November and entering the All-Star break with 36 points (18g/18a).
It wasn't just his on-ice impact making its mark early in the season.
Rakell joined with the organization to help honor the
21st Duck, Katie Hawley
. The team's
program
, which honors a fan who embodies characteristics such as great perseverance, character, courage, inspiration or a fan who is making significant contributions to our community, tabbed Hawley after seeing her inspiring story about battling cancer three separate times. Rakell, Hawley's favorite player, surprised her while the senior volunteered at Jesse Rees Foundation, inviting her to opening night and taking her onto the ice as part as the team's introductions.

The feel-good story continued at the league's annual All-Star festivities.
Representing the Ducks as the team's All-Star representative, he brought attention to Hawley's incredible story by bringing her along for the weekend.
It painted the picture of the player Anaheim fans know - an extremely talented individual on the ice, and a great person in the community.
His production improved in the second half, as the team around him returned healthier and kicked off its push to the playoffs. He completed his first career hat trick on February 25 against Edmonton at Honda Center, helping the Ducks clinch a crucial point. He became just the second player since 1967-68 to tie a game with two goals in the last minute of regulation to force overtime. He's also the only player since 1967-68 to score a hat trick with two-or-more goals in the final 30 seconds.
He also recorded his 20th career game-winning goal (through the last three seasons) on March 30 against the rival Los Angeles Kings (more on that soon), becoming just the fourth player in the league to reach that mark.
After the disappointing First Round exit, Rakell packed his bags and joined Team Sweden at the IIHF World Championship. He finished fourth among all skaters - and tops on Tre Konor - with 14 points in 10 games en route to a gold medal finish.
HIGHLIGHT
As the season approached its final month, the Ducks and Kings found themselves fighting for more than SoCal supremacy - the two locked in a heated race for playoff positioning. It added an extra layer of drama to a March 30 matchup at Honda Center, where the two teams battled to a 1-1 tie after regulation.
Enter Rakell in overtime, who sent the home fans happy.

OUTLOOK
There's no doubt expectations remain sky high for Rakell. While he's still seen time at center, it's clear the Swede excels on the wing. With back-to-back 30-goal seasons under his belt, it's not unreasonable to expect similar production - or even more - as he enters his seventh NHL season.