Rickard Rakell acquisition the latest chapter in long trade history between Pens, Ducks

Rickard Rakell has only been a member of the Penguins organization for a few days and time will be the judge as to whether or not the recent trade between Pittsburgh and Anaheim is successful.

History is on the side of the Penguins, however, when it comes to deals made between the two organizations.

On Monday, the Penguins dealt Zach Aston-Reese, Dominik Simon, Calle Clang, and a 2nd-round pick in exchange for the 28-year-old Swedish winger.

Let’s revisit some of the past trades between the Penguins and the Ducks and consider how they turned out for each team:

October 2019

Penguins trade: Erik Gudbranson

Penguins receive: Andreas Martinsen, 7th-round pick

The Erik Gudbranson Experience didn’t last all that long in Pittsburgh. GM Jim Rutherford dealt for Gudbranson at the trade deadline in February of 2019, and to the surprise of practically no one, things didn’t work out. Early on in the 2019-20 campaign, he was dealt to Anaheim, with the return being expectedly minimum, but it was an addition by subtraction type move.

Since then, Gubranson has made his way around the NHL, being traded to Ottawa before being dealt to Nashville. Gubranson has since then signed as a free agent with the Calgary Flames.

Trade Winner: Penguins

December 2018

Penguins trade: Daniel Sprong

Penguins receive: Marcus Pettersson

Since being traded to the Penguins, Marcus Pettersson has become a mainstay on the Pittsburgh blue line.

At the time, the trade seemed like a big risk, as Daniel Sprong had a huge upside, but he never found his footing in Anaheim. He would be flipped to Washington for Christian Djoos. Sprong would end up signing a contract extension with the Caps. Washington then traded Sprong to Seattle at the trade deadline earlier this week, where he would score a goal in his first game with the Kraken.

Trade Winner: Penguins

January 2016

Penguins trade: David Perron, Adam Clendening

Penguins receive: Carl Hagelin

This is one of two of the more impactful trades when it comes to the Pens and the Ducks.

Carl Hagelin’s time in Pittsburgh speaks for itself with the HBK Line, consisting of himself, Phil Kessel, and Nick Bonino holding a special place in Penguins lore, having been a key component in the 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup wins.

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

David Perron has overcome injuries and is a Stanley Cup winner himself — but he won that Cup with the St. Louis Blues after leaving Anaheim as a free agent.

Trade Winner: Penguins

March 2015

Penguins trade: Simon Despres

Penguins receive: Ben Lovejoy

Bringing Ben Lovejoy back ended up being a good move for the Pens, as Lovejoy played a key role as a depth defenseman during the 2016 Stanley Cup run. He seemed to come back to Pittsburgh in his second stint as much more stable kind of player.

Sadly, Simon Despres never had a chance to pan out in Anaheim at no fault of his own. Despres suffered a concussion in October 2015 and was never the same player after that, ultimately being bought out by the Ducks in 2017.

Trade Winner: N/A, due to the injury suffered by Despres.

February 2013

Penguins trade: Ben Lovejoy

Penguins receive: 5th-round pick (The Pens would select Anthony Angello with this pick)

Lovejoy’s first stint in Pittsburgh was neither memorable nor forgettable, which continued to be the case in Anaheim.

Anthony Angelllo, who the Penguins selected with the draft pick they received in return, has struggled to crack through at the NHL level, still spending nearly all of his career in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Trade Winner: Ducks, by a bit

February 2009

Penguins trade: Ryan Whitney

Penguins receive: Chris Kunitz, Eric Tangradi

Along with the Carl Hagelin trade, this is the other truly impactful trade between the two teams.

Chris Kunitz, like Hagelin, has a special place in Penguins history as a Stanley Cup winner in 2009, 2016, and 2017. The acquisition of Kunitz in 2009 was a move that helped propel the Pens from goodness to greatness.

And everyone remembers his goal in 2OT of Game 7 against the Senators in the Eastern Conference Final.

At the time, the trade felt like a major risk, as Pittsburgh was giving up a very solid player in Ryan Whitney.

Whitney would be flipped to Edmonton just over a year later in exchange for Lubomir Visnovsky.

Trade Winner: Penguins

Off Ice Winner: Ryan Whitney. Not everyone has a delicious pink lemonade flavored vodka named after them.

Recap

More often than not, trades between the Penguins and Ducks come out on the beneficial side of Pittsburgh. Where do you think the Rickard Rakell trade will rank among these other deals?