The young Ducks center saw a mediocre start to the season explode into a showcase of talent and possession-filled hockey late in the year, bringing much hope to fans and stats nerds everywhere for his potentially bright future.
The Anaheim Ducks drafted Rickard Rakell with the 30th overall pick in 2011, a pick acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had originally also acquired it from the Boston Bruins in the infamous Phil Kessel trade. While Rakell didn't immediately make the roster in Anaheim, his steady progression into a solid young player with an adept scoring touch has been a major boost to the Ducks depth down the middle, giving them three bona-fide threats at the center position.