Penguins Activate Blake Lizotte From IR

The Pittsburgh Penguins are already receiving relief from the tension caused by a loaded injured reserve to start the season. Center Blake Lizotte has been activated off of IR, setting him up to play in Pittsburgh’s season opener on Wednesday night. Lizotte was announced out week-to-week due to an upper-body injury as Pittsburgh opened their training camp. He missed 25 games last season due to upper-body injuries sustained in December and March, though it’s not clear if the string of injuries were connected.

Lizotte’s return will add an important piece back to the Penguins lineup. He has been the team’s top grinder in the last two seasons. Both years have been curbed by routine injury, leading Lizotte to miss a combined 50 games of his first two seasons in Pittsburgh. He has been productive despite those absences, totaling 39 points, 64 shot blocks, and 109 hits in 114 games with the Penguins. Those marks average out to 28 points, 46 shot blocks, and 78 hits over an 82-game season. Lizotte has also recorded a 50.5 faceoff percentage and 18.0 shooting percentage in Pittsburgh – the latter stat more than 7.0 percent higher than his career average.

Lizotte has a carved-out role when healthy. He will return to that spot on Wednesday, likely centering the fourth-line between Connor Dewar and Elmer Soderblom. The spotlight will inevitably land on Lizotte in a match with Pittsburgh’s rival Philadelphia Flyers. He recorded one goal, three points, 11 penalty minutes, and 17 hits in 10 matchups against the Flyers last season, including the playoffs.

He also got away with a spear on Flyers’ rookie Porter Martone in the most recent matchup between the two sides – a memory that could sit on the Flyers’ mind as they face the Penguins’ grinder on Wednesday.

In addition to Lizotte return, Pittsburgh also received good news when Benjamin Kindel and Bryan Rust took the ice for Wednesday’s practice. Both players wore no-contact jerseys per Penguins team reporter Michelle Crechiolo. Both players are out week-to-week. They will bring major upgrades to Pittsburgh’s top-nine as soon as they’re back to full health.