Pittsburgh Penguins place four players on injured reserve

The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed four players on injured reserve ahead of the regular season. The sidelined players include centers Ben Kindel and Blake Lizotte, winger Justin Brazeau, and defenseman Ryan Graves.

Kindel and Brazeau are both listed as week-to-week due to lower-body injuries sustained during a preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres. Lizotte is currently considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury, while Graves is out indefinitely with an unspecified knee issue.

To address the resulting depth issues in the center position, the Penguins are looking to Hendrix Lapierre. Lapierre, a former first-round pick by the Washington Capitals, is expected to fill the void in the lineup, potentially playing on the third line and the second power-play unit.