February 3, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Kirill Marchenko (illness) won't play against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. He missed Monday's practice due to illness and will need more time to recover. With Marchenko out, the Blue Jackets must manage without their top-scoring forward. The 25-year-old has tallied 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 50 games. Isac Lundestrom will move to the top line on Tuesday, while Kent Johnson is set to log time on the first power-play unit. Sean Monahan (illness), who left early on Saturday against the St. Louis Blues, is feeling better and is expected to play.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 3, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust (suspension) will be back in action on Tuesday against the New York Islanders. The veteran has completed his three-game suspension and will return to his regular spot on the first line next to Sidney Crosby. Rutger McGroarty will come out of the lineup against the Islanders. Rust was a bit quiet in January, but he's had a good campaign overall. In 47 appearances, the 33-year-old has contributed 18 goals and 27 assists. While Crosby has always enjoyed the matchups with the Islanders, Rust hasn't picked up any points against them in 12 consecutive regular-season outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 3, 2026
New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (lower body) has been ruled out for Tuesday's matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is forced to miss a second straight game due to a lower-body injury. It's possible Hughes can return for Thursday's tilt against the New York Islanders. "His goal is to play on Thursday, and he's trying to do everything that he can to get to that point," Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "But it's really up to the medical team. They're not confident with where he's at, but we'll just see what [Wednesday] brings." In Hughes' absence, Cody Glass will be part of the top-six group on Tuesday. Glass has had a good spell recently, averaging a point per game over his last 10 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 3, 2026
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower body) will be unavailable for Team Finland at the 2026 Olympics, with Joonas Korpisalo of the Columbus Blue Jackets named as an injury replacement. Luukkonen will sit out his fourth consecutive game on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Colten Ellis is likely to start the contest after Alex Lyon beat the Florida Panthers 5-3 with 38 saves on Monday night. Lyon has won 11 of his 12 starts, giving Buffalo a red-hot option in the crease while Luukkonen is on the mend.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 3, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (lower body) won't play at the 2026 Olympics and has been replaced on Team Canada by Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (upper body). Cirelli sustained a lower-body injury on Sunday against the Boston Bruins. With him out for the Olympics, Cirelli is also set to miss two Lightning games this week. Bennett was hurt in Monday's loss to the Buffalo Sabres but is expected to be healthy for the Olympic tournament. The Lightning will also be without Brayden Point (lower body) and Nicholas Paul (undisclosed) on Tuesday against Buffalo, which could give Yanni Gourde a spot in the top six.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 3, 2026
Utah Mammoth forward Nick Schmaltz scored his third career hat trick and added an assist in Monday's 6-2 triumph over the Vancouver Canucks. Schmaltz became Utah's second player this season with multiple hat tricks, producing his team's fifth hat trick in total. Only Edmonton (6) has had more hat tricks this season. Schmaltz has been in good goal-scoring form all season and now needs just two more markers for a new career-high. He has lit the lamp 22 times in 56 outings, adding 29 assists. This season, Schmaltz is also poised to break his scoring record of 63 points from last year.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 3, 2026
Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi finished Monday's 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Blues with four assists. The Predators captain registered a power-play assist in the first period and added three more during even-strength play when Nashville turned a 5-1 deficit into a win. This was Josi's fourth career four-assist game, tying Victor Hedman, Morgan Rielly, and Quinn Hughes for the most among active defensemen. After putting health issues behind him, Josi is having a good campaign in Music City. In 43 outings, he has contributed 10 goals and 27 assists. Only nine blue-liners have averaged more points than Josi (0.86 per game).
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 3, 2026
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes recorded a hat trick of assists against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night, playing a key role in a 4-3 overtime win. Hughes set up a pair of even-strength goals in regulation and helped Kirill Kaprizov end the game on the power play in overtime. On Monday, Hughes matched Kaprizov's franchise record with a nine-game assist streak. It also ties a league record for the longest assist streak by a defenseman in their first season with a franchise. Playing in his 484th career game, Hughes reached 400 assists with his final helper. Only the legendary Bobby Orr (437 games) and Paul Coffey (464 games) have reached 400 assists with fewer games among defensemen. Hughes is truly a special player, and he's had an incredible start in Minnesota, posting 32 points (three goals, 29 assists) in 25 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 3, 2026
Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil (undisclosed) didn't play in the third period of Monday's 6-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth. Canucks head coach Adam Foote told reporters after the game that Chytil "tweaked something." Chytil has a history of concussions, which makes it concerning that he was forced off the ice. He made only his 12th appearance of the season and had a rough outing, going minus-three in 7:36 of action. Chytil has scored three goals on 24 shots but has no assists. Aatu Raty is set to return to the lineup if Chytil isn't unavailable for Wednesday's tilt against the Vegas Golden Knights.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
February 3, 2026
Minnesota Wild defenseman Daemon Hunt (upper body) was limited to three shifts and 1:52 of ice time in Monday's 4-3 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens. He took a high stick to the neck from Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov. Fortunately, Hunt appears to have avoided a serious injury. According to Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News, Wild head coach John Hynes expects Hunt to be fine. Minnesota has one more game scheduled before the Olympic break, facing the Nashville Predators on Wednesday. Hunt has recently impressed on the Wild defense, covering for injured veterans Jonas Brodin (lower body) and Zach Bogosian (lower body). The latter was able to return from a 13-game absence on Monday, bumping David Jiricek from the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Dylan Loucks
February 3, 2026
Buffalo Sabres left wing Zach Benson (upper body) couldn't finish Monday's win over the Florida Panthers, leaving him questionable for Tuesday's tilt versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. "(He's) just being evaluated," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said postgame. "Couldn't finish the game. We'll see where he's at tomorrow." Benson scored Buffalo's third goal of the night. He appeared to have injured his left shoulder after crashing into the boards when he was tripped during a breakaway. Benson has accompanied Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch on the first line, while averaging 2:14 of power-play time. Josh Doan may move up in the lineup if Benson can't play on Tuesday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 3, 2026
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (upper body) played only a handful of minutes in Monday's 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. He suffered an upper-body injury, and there was no update on Bennett after the game. The Panthers were already without Brad Marchand (undisclosed) and Anton Lundell (upper body) on Monday night. With the team lacking quality options up front, Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues, Matthew Tkachuk, and Carter Verhaeghe all played heavy minutes in Monday's loss. While Brad Marchand (undisclosed) and Anton Lundell (upper body) could be available for Wednesday's game against Boston, it's unclear whether Bennett can play.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
February 2, 2026
Florida Panthers forwards Brad Marchand (undisclosed) and Anton Lundell (upper body) won't play on Monday against the Buffalo Sabres. Marchand will be out for a second consecutive game, while Lundell's absence will extend to three games. The two could return later this week when Florida has a back-to-back set against Boston and Tampa Bay. The injuries have benefited Eetu Luostarinen and Evan Rodrigues, who have moved to the first line. Both players also skate on the second power-play unit, giving them additional fantasy appeal.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 2, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly (upper body) will not be available for the final two games before the Olympic break. After sustaining an upper-body injury in Saturday's win over the Vancouver Canucks, Rielly will exit the lineup for Monday's meeting with the Calgary Flames. Rielly has been a busy man for the Maple Leafs, recording 31 points (seven goals, 24 assists), 106 shots, and 74 blocks in 54 appearances. He is second on the team in average ice time with 21:33 per game. Simon Benoit will enter the lineup on Monday, but won't offer anywhere near the same level of fantasy production. Jake McCabe will move into Rielly's spot on the first defensive pairing.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
February 2, 2026
New York Islanders winger Jonathan Drouin (illness) will return to the lineup for Monday's tilt against the Washington Capitals. He missed Saturday's loss to Nashville due to illness. Drouin hasn't scored any points in nine appearances and will have new linemates on Monday. He is set to work as the second-line center, flanked by Simon Holmstrom and Emil Heineman. Mathew Barzal will join Bo Horvat and Ondrej Palat on the top line. In addition to his point drought, Drouin hasn't scored a goal since Nov. 14. He has been limited to 20 points (three goals, 17 assists) in 48 games this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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