NEW YORK -- When the Penguins acquired Rickard Rakell from Anaheim at the trade deadline Monday, the prevailing sentiment -- outside of the Penguins' organization, at least -- was that he would end up on a line with Evgeni Malkin.
Well, he apparently has.
It just took a few games longer than almost anyone expected.
And he still isn't in the precise niche where many anticipated he fit in.
Rakell, widely projected to settle in on Malkin's right side, was on his left wing during the Penguins' game-day skate at Madison Square Garden, where they will face the Rangers tonight at 7:08, while Bryan Rust remained on the right.