Returning to Pittsburgh is a "Great Opportunity" for Rakell

Just over a month after Rickard Rakell returned home to California following the end of last season, he and wife Emmeli welcomed their first child, with daughter Daisy Summer arriving on on June 18. She immediately won the hearts of everyone in the household, including Black Labs Heinz and Stella.

"It's been really fun, and she's doing great so far," Rakell said before adding with a laugh, "the dogs seem to like her, and they're all getting along. So it's been awesome."
Being a brand-new dad helped keep Rakell's mind off his contract situation with Pittsburgh over these past few weeks. He knew patience would be key, understanding that management had to prioritize getting deals done with core players Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust before moving onto other orders of business.
"I knew they had a lot of work in front of them, so I was just trying to sit back and wait for my turn, basically," Rakell said.
But as both sides were eager to work something out, signing Rakell to a
six-year contract extension
with an average annual value of $5 million went smoothly and quickly once negotiations picked up.
"I had a really good feeling about the Penguins the second that I got there last season," Rakell said. "I mean, for me, it's a package thing. I want to be in a great organization with great teammates. It's a great opportunity for me, and I got it now. So, thankful for the great opportunity, and I'm super excited to just get going again."

Rakell, 29, made a pretty big impact in a pretty short time with Pittsburgh. Penguins general manager Ron Hextall praised the versatility and offense that he brought, as the two-time 30-goal scorer chipped in 13 points while showing an ability to gel alongside both Malkin and Sidney Crosby.
"We really like his game," Hextall said. "He can score goals, but he can also make plays. We feel like he can play either wing, which with injuries and whatnot, it's always hard to predict who's going to be in the lineup. So we just felt like he was a real good piece for us moving forward that gives us versatility."
While Rakell had some flashes of brilliance with Sid, saying he felt like they had some really good games together, he mostly played alongside Geno. That's a relationship he's looking forward to building on now that Malkin has also re-signed.
"I think for the two of us, if we can find some more chemistry and get some more time in training camp and get to know each other a little bit better, I think we can be really, really good," Rakell said. "He's such a great player. I just gotta find a way to be successful with him."
While his experience was obviously positive overall, it didn't come without its share of adversity. Starting with moving across the country following the first trade of his career at an intense time of the season, and ending with suffering a concussion in Game 1 of the First Round against the New York Rangers that kept him out until Game 7.
So getting to spend time at training camp not just getting to know Malkin better, but all of his teammates - and the system - will be invaluable to Rakell as he looks to take his game to another level.
"I'm just super excited about this opportunity," Rakell said. "I had so much fun playing with this team in the short period of time last year, and I'm just super excited to see where we can go from here - and how I can elevate my type of game, and just help as much as I can."