Penguins’ Blake Lizotte out week-to-week with upper-body injury
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Blake Lizotte recently sustained an upper-body injury and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, the club announced Tuesday afternoon.
Lizotte, 28, has seven goals and 19 points while averaging 13:52 of ice time in 55 games with the Penguins this season. The Lindstrom, Minn. product made his last appearance against the Utah Mammoth on Mar. 14.
The Penguins had previously confirmed that Lizotte would not play in their game against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, which they won by a 7-2 final score.
UPDATE: Forward Blake Lizotte will be re-evaluated in 4 weeks.
Forward Blake Lizotte (upper body) will not play in tonight's game in Colorado.
The Penguins currently sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with a 34-18-15 record and 83 points through 67 games. Assuming Lizotte is ready to play after four weeks, he could return just in time to suit up for the Penguins in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs — assuming they qualify in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference.
An undrafted player, Lizotte spent two seasons with the Fargo Force and at St. Cloud State University before signing with the Los Angeles Kings as a college free agent in 2019. The 5’9″ center ultimately spent parts of six seasons with the Kings to begin his NHL career, topping out with 11 goals and 34 points in 81 games with the club in 2022-23.
Lizotte signed a two-year, $1.85 million-AAV contract with the Penguins as an unrestricted free agent in 2024. He has been an effective bottom-six center with the club over the past two seasons and was rewarded for his strong play with a three-year, $2.25 million-AAV contract extension in January.
Through 434 career NHL games over parts of eight seasons split between the Penguins and Kings, Lizotte has collected 55 goals, 145 points, and 205 penalty minutes. He’s added one goal and two points in 15 career playoff contests, all with the Kings between 2022 and 2024.