The Penguins made some roster moves on Friday ahead of a big weekend. Defenseman Harrison Brunicke, as expected, is going to play for Team Canada at World Juniors in Minnesota. Depending on how the team does, this could keep him away from the pro club until early January.
Brunicke has not played in the NHL since early November, serving as a healthy scratch and then going to the AHL
on a rehab stint where he played five games and produced four assists in Wilkes-Barre. He figures to slot into a key role for the U-20 Canadian team which will also receive the services of right-handed defender Zayne Parekh from Calgary. Parekh, the ninth overall pick in 2024, has been in a similar situation with the Flames as a part-time NHL player (11 games) that is stuck in between pro levels right now.
The roster spot opened up by sending Brunicke out was immediately filled, and happily so with the return of Rickard Rakell from injured reserve.
Rakell has been practicing all week after being out since late October when a puck broke a bone in his hand. The forward has eight points (3G+5A) in nine games this season following a career year last year that saw him record 35 goals and 70 points.
The team can badly use Rakell, they’re winless in their last three games (0-1-2) and only 4-3-3 since returning from their trip to Sweden. The Penguins are in the middle of a hectic December that sees them play a ton of games, including this weekend’s home back-to-back against San Jose and Utah. Their forward group needs the boost of skilled players with Evgeni Malkin also on the shelf and the imminent return of Rakell should give them a much needed boost in that department.
