Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell is expected to be named as a replacement to Sweden’s roster in the NHL’s upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
His anticipated addition to that roster was reported by Swedish outlet Aftonbladet on Monday.
Rakell will replace Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson who is currently designated to injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury.
A right-handed shot, Rakell is fifth in the NHL among Swedish players in scoring this season, posting 45 points (23 goals, 22 assists) in 53 games while averaging 19:05 of ice time per contest. Typically deployed on the Penguins’ top line as a left winger, Rakell also works on the top power-play unit.
Rakell will be joining Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson on Sweden’s roster.
Penguins forward Sidney Crosby headlines Canada’s roster as that team’s captain for the event.
The tournament will be staged between Feb. 12 and 20 in Boston and Montreal. In addition to Canada and Sweden, Finland and the United States will participate.
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, assistant coach David Quinn and video coach Madison Nikkel will inhabit identical roles for the United States. President of hockey operations Kyle Dubas is serving as director of player personnel for Canada.
