A week-to-week injury for rostered player on Team Sweden may open the door for the Penguins to have three representatives at 4 Nations

With the NHL's 4 Nations Face-off just around the corner, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, along with defenseman Erik Karlsson, are gearing up to join their respective rosters for the tournament.

And it's possible that another teammate could be joining them in Montreal and in Boston.

The Vegas Golden Knights announced Thursday that forward William Karlsson - who was named to Team Sweden's roster for 4 Nations - will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Since the 4 Nations Face-off begins on Feb. 12, there is a decent chance that W. Karlsson will not be cleared to participate in the international tournament.

If W. Karlsson cannot participate, this could be an opportunity for Team Sweden to right a wrong and name Penguins forward Rickard Rakell as a replacement.

Many across the hockey world thought Rakell should have been on Team Sweden's roster in the first place. And it's hard to argue with what the Penguins' sniper and leading goal-scorer has done this season. 

Rakell has 40 points in 48 games on the season and is currently tied for 11th in the NHL in goals with 23. Only two Swedish players - William Nylander (28) and Adrian Kempe (24), who are both on Team Sweden's roster - have more goals than Rakell, and only five of Rakell's goals have come on the power play. 

And even more impressive is what Rakell has done since his "snub" from the original roster. Only four NHL players - Leon Draisaitl, Mark Scheifele, Jake Guentzel, and Auston Matthews - have more goals than Rakell's 13 since Dec. 4, which was the day that 4 Nations rosters were announced. And only Draisaitl, the league's leading goal-scorer, has more goals than Rakell since Nov. 27.

Rakell expressed disappointment in being left off of the roster initially, saying he thought he "definitely had a good chance to make it" and that he would set out to "prove them wrong."

It remains to be seen whether or not W. Karlsson will be forced out due to his injury, but nonetheless, Rakell deserves a spot on the roster. If he is named as an injury replacement, he will join E. Karlsson in representing Team Sweden for the Penguins, while Crosby represents Team Canada.

Injury replacements can be announced up until the first day of games for 4 Nations. The tournament runs from Feb. 12-20 and will be played in Montreal at Bell Centre and in Boston at T.D. Garden.