With a new season just around the corner, the Pittsburgh Penguins are gearing up for yet another training camp.
But this time around – unlike in seasons past – 2024-25 could be full of surprises.
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As such, we will break down some storylines to expect this season and provide you with some bold – and some not-so-bold – predictions for the 2024-25 campaign.
Next up: Which Penguins’ player is most poised for a bounceback season?
Kelsey’s Prediction
© Charles LeClaire – Imagn Images
First of all, I think there are several players on this roster who are poised for bounceback seasons. Erik Karlsson, Kevin Hayes, and Matt Grzelcyk come to mind.
I’ll argue all day that Karlsson wasn’t even bad at all last season, but I think he’s about to have a monster year. I think Hayes will be playing inspired hockey this year and that younger, faster legs around him should help his scoring touch re-emerge.
And I think Grzelcyk’s process is still there – and that he could be a better anchor for Letang than Graves is – he just had a mess of a season in Boston last year and needed a change of scenery.
But I want to discuss a player that some Penguins’ fans seem to have a short memory about. And that guy is Rickard Rakell.
rickard rakell’s first goal as a penguin is just an absolute laser. this guy is so talented & i still can’t believe he’s a penguin pic.twitter.com/20ercmLt8O
— ego (@notmalkinego) March 27, 2022
Rakell set expectations high after his 2022-23 campaign, when he put up 28 goals and 60 points over a full season. But an extremely slow start – he did not have more goals than goaltender Tristan Jarry until Dec. 27 – and a nagging shoulder injury broke his 2023-24 season, and he finished with only 15 goals and 37 points in 70 games.
But there were some positives that came out of last season, too. For one, after Dec. 18 – following his month-long IR stint – he scored at a 23-goal, 51-point pace, which is more resemblant of his previous season. This was also despite his shoulder injury, which likely hindered his shooting ability.
Related: THN Penguins’ Predictions: What Will the Final 23-Man Roster Look Like?
It’s also worth noting that Rakell’s game improved in other facets: He emerged as one of the team’s best defensive forwards – if not the best – and he was second only to defensive-minded fourth-liner Noel Acciari in hits by Penguins’ forwards. And according to Moneypuck, he was also,…