Rakell and the Ducks were unable to agree on a contract extension days before the trade, prompting the franchise to look into trade possibilities. Rakell is in the final year of a six-year deal worth $3,789,444.
Fans slammed Pittsburgh's move, citing Rakell's recent struggles as a middle-six scorer. But, on Tuesday, Penguins' Brian Burke addressed what was wrong with Rakell and why the team traded him. Burke revealed on Sportsnet's Jeff Marek Show:
»We found out that he had some medical and dietary issues that affected his play the last couple of years. And those have been sorted out. So we figured out, this is a guy who fell off the map a little bit for two years, and all of a sudden he's got 14 goals or whatever he's got this year. We did some really good reconnaissance on him and figured out this is a guy who is bouncing back, not continuing to spiral.»
I guess Burke felt like it was time to trade Rakell and give him another chance at winning the Stanley Cup.
Credit: HF
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Did Richard Rakell make the Penguins worse or better?
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113
85 %
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15 %
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