January 26, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body) was activated from Injured Reserve and will return to the lineup for Monday's tilt against the New York Islanders. The Finnish veteran has been sidelined for six games due to an upper-body injury. Ristolainen has made 13 appearances this season, registering three assists, 24 shots, 24 blocks, and 16 hits, while averaging 20:59 of ice time. He will join Emil Andrae on the second defensive pairing on Monday, bumping Noah Juulsen out of the lineup. While Ristolainen's return will be a big boost for a Flyers defense that has allowed 38 goals across the last eight games, he has minimal fantasy appeal.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 26, 2026
New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock (upper body) will be out for a second consecutive game on Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The hardworking blue-liner sustained an upper-body injury on Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken. Pulock has improved offensively in 2025-26, tallying 21 points (two goals, 19 assists) in 50 appearances. He leads the Islanders with 92 blocked shots. Isaiah George joined the lineup on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres and is expected to make a second consecutive appearance on Monday night. George was limited to 13:56 of ice time against Buffalo and doesn't have any fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 26, 2026
New York Islanders right wing Simon Holmstrom (illness) is considered a game-time decision for Monday's meeting with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Swedish forward is battling an illness and could miss his second game of the season. Holmstrom is hoping to post a second consecutive 40-point campaign in 2025-26, sitting on 12 goals and 12 assists through 50 appearances. He has skated with Anthony Duclair and Mathew Barzal on the second line. The Islanders will turn to Maxim Tsyplakov or Calum Ritchie if Holmstrom doesn't feel well enough to play against Philadelphia.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 26, 2026
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (personal) was activated from the non-roster list. He is ready to rejoin the action after missing Sunday's win over the Toronto Maple Leafs for personal reasons. Wedgewood's wife, Brittany, gave birth to their second child on Thursday. Wedgewood is having an extraordinary season, sharing the league lead with a 2.18 goals-against average and ranking second with a .918 save percentage. He boasts a 20-3-5 record and has produced two shutouts. However, Wedgewood has lost some momentum recently, posting a 2-2-1 record in his last five starts.
--Taavi PailkSource: Colorado Avalanche
January 26, 2026
Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (lower body) didn't practice on Sunday, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald reports. The Russian veteran was injured during Saturday's 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. While he was able to finish the game, it's unclear whether Zadorov can play on Monday against the New York Rangers. So far, he has appeared in all 52 games this season, ranking third on his team with 130 hits and 76 blocks, while notching 17 points (one goal, 16 assists) on the offensive end. Bruins head coach Marco Sturm called Zadorov a game-time decision. If he can't play on Monday, Henri Jokiharju will step into the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Steve Conroy
January 26, 2026
Ottawa Senators forward Stephen Halliday (undisclosed) didn't finish Sunday's 7-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. He left the game in the third period after Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl hit him into the stanchion. It was an unfortunate end to a big performance, as Halliday was one of the stars in the win. The 23-year-old had his first career multi-goal game, finishing with two goals and one assist. Halliday recently entered the lineup as a replacement for David Perron (groin). He has made 21 appearances this season, scoring three goals and 10 points. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk commented after the game that Halliday "feels good, feels okay. So hopefully it's nothing too severe." Still, the rookie could miss some time.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
January 26, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack St. Ivany (upper body) exited Sunday's 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the first period. He saw only 2:54 of ice time before leaving the action due to an upper-body injury. St. Ivany had collected four assists over his last two outings before Sunday's game, providing a creative spark from the blue line while Erik Karlsson (lower body) and Kris Letang (upper body) dealt with injuries. Overall, St. Ivany has contributed seven assists in 17 appearances this season, but he is still searching for his first goal. Connor Clifton or Ilya Solovyov will come into the lineup if St. Ivany is ruled out for Thursday's contest against the Chicago Blackhawks.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 26, 2026
Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (head) was on the receiving end of a high hit at the end of Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Penguins forward Bryan Rust hit Boeser in the head with an extended elbow as time expired. Canucks head coach Adam Foote called it a "vicious headshot." "I'm sure the league will take a look at it," Foote added. Boeser had scored in back-to-back games before the Penguins neutralized him. The 28-year-old has notched 12 goals and 25 points in 50 games this season. He has been a disappointment to fantasy managers after averaging 0.66 points per game last campaign. David Kampf was scratched on Sunday and could return to the lineup if Boeser has to miss time.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
January 26, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin (undisclosed) appeared to have gotten hurt during Sunday's 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. He was seen grabbing his shoulder on the bench as the Penguins celebrated their win at the end of the game. Malkin scored Pittsburgh's first goal on Sunday and has looked fantastic since returning from an upper-body injury. Across his last 10 appearances, Malkin has produced five goals and six assists. He is averaging over a point per game for the season, with 13 goals and 27 assists in 40 outings. We should know more about what happened to Malkin before Thursday's matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 25, 2026
San Jose Sharks forward Philipp Kurashev (upper body) will join the team for its upcoming five-game road trip, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports. He is expected to return to action at the end of the trip. Kurashev has missed 17 games due to an upper-body injury. The forward did a good job for the Sharks earlier in the campaign, posting 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 31 games. Once healthy, Kurashev will compete for a middle-six role. Recently acquired Kiefer Sherwood (upper body) is also on track to join the lineup during the upcoming road trip.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sheng Peng
January 25, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Charle-Edouard D'Astous (lower body) was placed on Injured Reserve, Diandra Loux of The Hockey News reports. D'Astous appeared to injure his left leg during Saturday's loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was one of three Lightning blue-liners to exit the game early, along with Erik Cernak (upper body) and Max Crozier (illness). D'Astous has been a surprise contributor for the Lightning this season, recording 17 points (three goals, 14 assists), 52 shots, 45 blocks, and 53 hits in 43 games. The team recalled Maxim Groshev from the minors as D'Astous's replacement on the roster.
--Taavi PailkSource: Diandra Loux
January 25, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (groin) missed a fifth consecutive game on Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche and doesn't have a timeline for his return. The Swedish star skated before practice on Saturday as he works his way back from a groin injury. Nylander has showcased superb form when in the lineup this season, amassing 48 points (17 goals, 31 assists) in 37 appearances. He is still Toronto's leading scorer despite missing 15 games over the course of the season. With Nylander unavailable, Scott Laughton joined the top-six group on Sunday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 25, 2026
Chicago Blackhawks winger Teuvo Teravainen (upper body) will miss his sixth consecutive game on Sunday against the Florida Panthers. He took part in the morning skate, wearing a non-contact jersey, indicating Teravainen is close to returning. However, the Finnish forward will miss at least one more game. Teravainen has had a decent campaign in 2025-26, recording 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 45 outings. He is expected to practice again on Monday, and his next opportunity to return will be a Central Division tilt against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 25, 2026
Vancouver Canucks center David Kampf will exit the lineup on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sportsnet's Brendan Batchelor reports. He will be replaced by Aatu Raty, who has missed two games as a healthy scratch. Kampf has been quiet with the Canucks since signing a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the team in November. In 30 outings, he has contributed only two goals and four assists. With Filip Chytil and Teddy Blueger back in action, Kampf has fallen down in the depth chart and is now completely out of the lineup. Vancouver is also expected to have Marco Rossi (lower body) back in the middle soon, further crowding the center position and complicating Kampf's situation.
--Taavi PailkSource: Brendan Batchelor
January 25, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (upper body) is poised to return to action on Sunday night against the Vancouver Canucks. The Penguins have been without Letang for two games after he suffered an upper-body injury. Erik Karlsson also recently returned to the lineup, giving Pittsburgh two top options in defense. With Karlsson back in action, Letang must settle for a spot on the second power-play unit. He will skate with Brett Kulak on the second defensive pairing during even-strength action. Letang recently had his fourth three-game assist streak of the season, boosting his points tally to 25. He has contributed three goals and 22 assists in 48 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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