Penguins’ Blaze Lizotte week-to-week with upper-body injury

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Monday that forward Blake Lizotte is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Lizotte, 28, took part in practice with the rest of his Penguins teammates on Sunday but was ruled out from participating on Monday after sustaining the injury. The 5’9″ center posted seven goals and 19 points in 55 games with the Penguins during the 2025-26 regular season, adding two assists in six playoff games with the club.

In addition to the Lizotte news, the Penguins announced that minor-league forward Oliver Okuliar is similarly week-to-week after sustaining a lower-body injury during Sunday’s skate.

An undrafted player, Lizotte is set to enter his third season with the Penguins organization after originally signing with the club as an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2024. The Lindstrom, Minn. product signed a three-year contract extension with the Penguins midway through the 2025-26 season that will keep him in Pittsburgh through 2029 at a $2.25 million cap hit.

Lizotte played his junior hockey with the USHL’s Fargo Force from 2015 to 2017 before spending the following two seasons at St. Cloud State University. After scoring 42 points in 37 games as a sophomore at St. Cloud State in 2018-19, Lizotte signed with the Los Angeles Kings as a free agent and made his NHL debut with the club the same season.

Ultimately, Lizotte appeared in parts of six seasons with the Kings to begin his NHL career, only playing in one AHL game over that span while establishing himself as a dependable bottom-six forward. He set career highs with 11 goals and 34 points in 81 games with the Kings in the 2022-23 season.

Lizotte spent much of the 2025-26 season on a line with Connor Dewar and Noel Acciari in Pittsburgh. Dewar is still in the fold, but with Lizotte injured and Acciari now with the Penguins’ cross-state rivals, it appears there’ll be a bit more competition for spots on Pittsburgh’s fourth line in training camp.