Penguins place Lizotte, Brazeau, Kindel and Graves on injured reserve

The Pittsburgh Penguins will begin the regular season dealing with a significant wave of injuries. On Sunday, the club announced that forwards Blake Lizotte, Justin Brazeau and Ben Kindel, along with defenceman Ryan Graves, have all been placed on injured reserve ahead of Wednesday’s season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Injury details and timelines for Lizotte, Brazeau, Kindel and Graves

Lizotte is sidelined with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day. While that designation suggests his absence could be relatively short, the Penguins did not provide a specific target date for his return. His injury leaves a hole in Pittsburgh’s forward depth as the team finalizes its early-season lineup.

Brazeau and Kindel are both dealing with lower-body injuries and have been listed as week-to-week. That status indicates they are expected to miss at least multiple games to start the schedule, with their availability hinging on how they respond to treatment and rehabilitation. Their absence removes size and skill options from the forward group.

On the back end, Graves is also out with a lower-body injury. Unlike his teammates, however, his recovery timeline is described as indefinite, leaving the Penguins without clarity on when he might return. That uncertainty forces the coaching staff to reshuffle pairings and redistribute minutes among the remaining defencemen.

Depth tested as Penguins prepare for Flyers opener

The cluster of injuries arrives at a challenging time, as Pittsburgh moves from pre-season evaluations into games that count in the standings. With three forwards and a defenceman unavailable, the organization will need to lean on internal depth options and potential call-ups to fill out the roster. Special teams personnel and matchups may also be adjusted in response to the missing pieces.

Among the injured players, Kindel stands out because of his draft pedigree. Pittsburgh selected him in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, and he entered training camp aiming to secure a spot in the Penguins’ lineup. The lower-body injury interrupts that push and delays his opportunity to make an impact at the NHL level.

Until Lizotte, Brazeau, Kindel and Graves are ready to return, the Penguins’ coaching staff will be tasked with finding new line combinations and defensive pairings to navigate the early part of the schedule. The team’s first test with its depleted lineup comes Wednesday, when Pittsburgh visits its in-state rivals, the Flyers, to open the regular season.