January 29, 2026
Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle recorded his fourth multi-point game of the month on Wednesday night, finishing a 5-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche with a goal and an assist. The German star helped Nick Cousins open the scoring in the second period and wrapped up the game with an empty-net goal. Stutzle has been hot during the latter half of the month, tallying five goals and five assists in nine games. He leads the Senators with 24 goals and 55 points in 53 contests. Stutzle and the Senators will complete the week on Saturday against a New Jersey Devils squad that has allowed four goals in three consecutive games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 29, 2026
New York Islanders left wing Ondrej Palat had a productive debut for his new team on Wednesday, contributing a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers. Palat scored on the power play to open the scoring and collected an assist when Emil Heineman put the fifth puck past Spencer Martin in the Rangers' net. Palat became the fourth active player to record multiple points in their Islanders debut. Palat started the game on the first line but was limited to 11:53 of ice time. The Czech veteran will try to terrorize the Rangers again on Thursday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 29, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski notched two assists in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, recording his fifth multi-point game of the month. Thanks to Werenski's playmaking, Charlie Coyle scored in the opening minute of the first period, and Kirill Marchenko netted a goal in the last minute of the same frame. With the two-assist effort, Werenski reclaimed the top spot in scoring among defensemen. He boasts 57 points (19 goals, 38 assists) in 48 games, putting him one ahead of Colorado's Cale Makar and Edmonton's Evan Bouchard. Werenski has tallied 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in January alone.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 29, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny (foot) is questionable for Thursday's matchup against the Boston Bruins, Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Konency scored his third career hat trick in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, but he injured his foot blocking a shot. On Wednesday, Konency took over the scoring lead on his team, boasting 48 points (20 goals, 28 assists) through 51 appearances. His potential absence on Thursday could give Matvei Michov a first-line role. Bobby Brink is also a candidate to step into the top six.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jackie Spiegel
January 29, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (lower body) logged only 1:01 of action in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Finnish veteran recently returned from an upper-body injury and was in the lineup for the second time after a six-game absence. Unfortunately, he may now have to miss time again. Ristolainen also sat out the start of the season and has played just 15 times in 2025-26. He has recorded three assists, 24 shots, 25 blocks, and 16 hits with a minus-five rating. If Ristolainen is unavailable on Thursday against the Boston Bruins, Emil Andrae will rejoin the Flyers' backline.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBC Sports Philadelphia
January 29, 2026
Calgary Flames forward Blake Coleman (upper body) won't return to action until after the Olympic break. He has missed eight games with an upper-body injury and will be absent for four more contests. While Calgary has struggled as a team for most of the season, Coleman has enjoyed a positive year. He ranks second among forwards on his team with a plus-10 rating and has recorded 21 points (13 goals, eight assists) and 110 hits. Flames head coach Ryan Huska wants to see other players step up on and off the ice during Coleman's absence.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
January 28, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (lower body) was activated from Injured Reserve and will start Wednesday's contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Czechia netminder has been out for six games while dealing with a lower-body injury. Across 28 prior starts this season, Vladar has posted a good 16-7-4 record. While he hasn't yet registered a single shutout, the 28-year-old has limited opponents to 2.46 goals while producing a .905 save percentage. The Blue Jackets are on a 6-1-0 run and scored eight goals in their last outing, making this a tough game for Vladar's return to the net.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 28, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk (upper body) will rejoin the lineup on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. He has been out for six games due to an upper-body injury. Jake Christiansen will make way for Mateychuk in the lineup. It's been a good sophomore campaign for Mateychuk, as the 21-year-old has tallied 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 44 outings while blocking 63 shots. He will join Ivan Provorov on the second defensive pairing, and the two will be part of the second power-play unit as well. Forward Miles Wood (upper body) will also re-enter the Blue Jackets lineup on Wednesday after missing 12 games, giving the in-form team a further boost.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
Ottawa Senators center Stephen Halliday (upper body) won't play in Wednesday's matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. The 23-year-old had a fantastic game on Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights with two goals and one assist, but Halliday also sustained an upper-body injury during the contest. He is considered day-to-day, with Halliday's first chance to return coming on Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils. Xavier Bourgault is expected to replace Halliday in the lineup after he was recalled from the minors. Having been almost a point-per-game performer in the AHL this season, Bourgault will get an opportunity to play in the NHL for just the second time in his career.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton (lower body) will miss a third consecutive game on Wednesday night against the Ottawa Senators. He suffered a lower-body injury a week ago and is considered day-to-day. Colorado has been hopeful that Colton will return at some point during the team's current four-game road trip. There are two more stops on the trip: Thursday in Montreal and Saturday in Detroit. With Colton and Gabriel Landeskog (upper body) on the shelf, Victor Olofsson has received an opportunity on the first line. Meanwhile, Taylor Makar has slotted into the third line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (upper body) will sit out an 11th consecutive game on Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators. He remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Toews' next chance to return will be on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. With him out, Sam Malinski has been accompanying Cale Makar on the first defensive pairing. The Cornell University product, who signed a four-year extension earlier this week, has also seen some power-play time. However, Malinski has been in an offensive slump this month, making it on the score sheet just twice in 11 appearances. Overall, he has notched a career-high 24 points (three goals, 21 assists) in 50 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
New York Islanders right wing Simon Holmstrom (illness) was on the ice on Wednesday morning and is expected to play against the New York Rangers. The Swedish forward wasn't in the lineup on Monday versus the Philadelphia Flyers due to illness. Holmstrom has finished five of his last six appearances without a point. Still, he's been a solid contributor for the Islanders, tallying 12 goals and 12 assists in 50 outings. Max Shabanov is set to be a healthy scratch against the Rangers, with Holmstrom joining Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau on the third line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock (upper body) is considered a game-time decision for Wednesday's Battle of New York against the Rangers. The veteran has been sidelined for two games due to an upper-body injury. Pulock adds a lot to the Islanders' blue line, recording 21 points (two goals, 19 assists) and a team-high 92 blocks in 50 appearances this season. If he's deemed healthy to play, Pulock will likely replace Adam Boqvist in the lineup and join Carson Soucy on the third defensive pairing. Soucy is ready to make his Islanders debut after being traded by the Rangers on Monday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack St. Ivany (hand) is expected to miss up to eight weeks after undergoing surgery, the team announced. The 26-year-old injured his left hand during Sunday's 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. St. Ivany has suited up in 17 games this season, recording seven assists and 16 shots on goal. Last week, he impressed with back-to-back two-assist games. The Penguins have Connor Clifton and Ilya Solovyov available on the roster as replacements for St. Ivany on the backline.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
New Jersey Devils forward Cody Glass (undisclosed) couldn't finish Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets after blocking a shot. He was limited to 6:44 of ice time. According to Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe, Glass attempted to return to the game, which suggests his injury isn't severe, and it's possible Glass won't have to miss time. The Devils will return to work on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. Glass has scored 13 goals this season, putting him in a three-way tie for the second-most goals on his team. In 42 outings, he has also contributed five assists. Five of Glass' 18 points this season came during a recent two-game hot spell.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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