A struggling Pittsburgh Penguins forward will not join Team Sweden for the IIHF World Championship.

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins missed their chance to compete for the Stanley Cup, but a few players may be given an opportunity to compete for an IIHF gold medal. Defenseman Erik Karlsson was the first Penguins player to join an international squad with Team Sweden, but a fellow countryman forward will not join him.

Rickard Rakell told Swedish outlet Expressen that he has no choice but to decline his offer. According to Rakell, he will not play in the 2024 IIHF World Championship, citing a shoulder injury he suffered during the season.

Between mid-November and December, Rakell missed about a month of the season with what was then labeled an upper-body injury. Rakell appeared in 70 games this season and scored just 15 goals—a steep drop-off from 28 the previous season.

When Rakell’s injury occurred, he was yet to score a single goal. This lingering shoulder injury is likely what forced him to struggle with offense all season long.

Rakell previously participated in the World Championship in 2018 when Sweden took home the gold medal.

Teams are slowly starting to put together their teams for the 2024 tournament. Karlsson has already committed to Sweden and so too has Marcus Pettersson. Team Canada is still awaiting an answer from Sidney Crosby.

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