Rickard Rakell Hits Major Milestone Placing Him in Elite Penguins Company

The Pittsburgh Penguins 2024/25 season has fallen well short of expectations, and although they didn't move him at the trade deadline, Rickard Rakell has become a genuine star for this organization.

While his future is up in the air beyond this season, Rakell joined some Pittsburgh Penguins icons with his latest goal, as the team announced he had joined elite company on Thursday.

With the third 30-goal season of his career, Rakell became just the fifth Penguin (not named Crosby or Malkin) to score 30 in a season over the past 20 years, and unsurprisingly, the 31-year old veteran was thrilled with his output in a Penguins uniform this year.

This team certainly hasn't performed up to the expectations of themselves or their fans in the last few years, but that doesn't mean there's been a lack of trying, as Rakell's 30 goals push him to 58 points in 67 games this year, which is a fantastic output for the veteran winger.

Ultimately, this likely isn't a player that's going to be in Pittsburgh for long, as the team are looking to maximize their future assets by getting more in the summer, but in the three seasons he's spent as a Penguin, Rakell has been a fantastic contributor and a well liked player by the media, his teammates and the fans, and even with the struggles as a team, this is a season that should be celebrated on an individual level.