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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 29: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins battles against Connor Murphy #5 of the Chicago Blackhawks at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 29, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins only have one game left before their Olympic break but are experiencing a bumpy road to get to that finish line. It was already announced that Blake Lizotte will be out for tonight’s game against Buffalo due to the birth of his child and that Noel Acciari is a game-time decision while dealing with an illness that kept his off the ice for the morning skate.
To make matters worse, Rickard Rakell was unable to get through the skate and won’t be able to play tonight either.
Updates from Dan Muse:
Arturs Silovs starts in goal
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) February 5, 2026
As a result, the team has recalled Avery Hayes from the AHL.
Hayes would surely be in the lineup tonight should Acciari not be able to play now that Rakell is unable to play. If Acciari can go, the team would have an extra forward available.
The bigger question for Rakell as a member of Team Sweden is how big of an injury that he has and what that could mean for his participation in the upcoming Olympic games. The tournament begins on February 11th.
For the Pens, the Rakell injury will mean a new forward playing with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust tonight, and possibly the NHL debut of another player in Avery Hayes depending on how the health status of Acciari looks by game time.
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