February 4, 2026
Winger Artemi Panarin was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday and signed a two-year, $22 million contract extension. In the transaction, the New York Rangers received prospect forward Liam Greentree, a conditional third-round pick in 2026, and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2028. The Rangers are retaining 50 percent of Panarin's 2025-25 salary, giving the Kings a $5.8 million cap hit. Panarin was linked to several Eastern Conference teams, but sources told ESPN that the Russian star wanted to play in L.A. Picking up Panarin should give the Kings' offense a much-needed boost; only five teams have averaged fewer goals this season. Panarin is only a couple of years removed from a huge 120-point campaign. This season, he has notched 57 points (19 goals, 38 assists) in 52 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal tallied three points (one goal, two assists) in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. All of Barzal's points came after the second intermission. He first tied the score at three, then set up goals by Ryan Pulock and Bo Horvat as the Islanders turned the game on its head. Barzal has been hot throughout 2026, earning him a spot on the top line alongside Horvat. The 28-year-old has scored in five of his last six outings and has earned 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) over a 16-game stretch. It's been an impressive comeback season for Barzal, who missed a large chunk of 2024-25 due to a knee injury. He leads the Islanders in scoring, posting 50 points (16 goals, 34 assists) in 56 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho left his fingerprints all over Tuesday's matchup against the Ottawa Senators, finishing a 4-3 victory with a goal and two assists. Aho scored late in the first period and helped Seth Jarvis grab a pair of goals in the second, including a power-play marker. The 28-year-old became the fourth Finnish player in NHL history to score at least 20 goals in 10 consecutive seasons. He has added 37 assists in 56 outings. Aho will attempt to post his first four-game goal streak since 2022-23 when the Hurricanes face the New York Rangers on Thursday in their final game before the Olympic break.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh scored in his fifth consecutive game and added an assist as his team defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in overtime on Tuesday night. Raddysh was a late hero, scoring with 26 seconds left in regulation to extend the game. He became only the sixth blue-liner in the past 25 years to record a five-game goal streak. Raddysh is third among defensemen with 17 goals and sixth with 51 points in 48 games. His productivity hasn't dipped since Victor Hedman's return, which is an encouraging sign for managers hoping Raddysh can keep his hot form going until the fantasy playoffs.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov made scoring look easy once again on Tuesday night, totaling four points (one goal, three assists) in a 4-3 overtime victory against the Buffalo Sabres. The Russian superstar recorded his second consecutive four-point game. He now has 39 such efforts, the fourth most among players born and trained outside North America. Kucherov has bagged an incredible 39 points (11 goals, 28 assists) since the start of January, making him a contender for his third straight Art Ross Trophy. He is now just five points behind leading scorer Connor McDavid. Across 50 outings, Kucherov has managed 90 points (29 goals, 61 assists).
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny celebrated his 700th career game with two assists in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals. He managed to keep his multi-point streak alive in the final minutes. Konecny had his first helper when Jamie Drysdale scored a power-play goal with 5:23 left in regulation, and Rasmus Ristolainen's empty-net goal 17 seconds from the end gave Konecny his fourth consecutive multi-point game. The 28-year-old has been red-hot lately and will probably be disappointed that there's going to be an international break soon. Konecny has racked up 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in his past nine outings. He has taken over the scoring lead among the Flyers, boasting 54 points (22 goals, 32 assists) in 54 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins recorded his first shutout of the season on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils, backstopping his team to a 3-0 road win with 24 saves. The Latvian netminder now has 12 shutouts with the Blue Jackets, placing him behind only Sergei Bobrovsky (33) and Steve Mason (19). After riding the hot hand of Jet Greaves for a while, Columbus has also received strong goaltending from Merzlikins lately. Following Tuesday's win, he boasts a 5-1-0 record over his last six starts. With two in-form goalies, the Blue Jackets are well-positioned to earn a playoff spot. Greaves is set to start in the final pre-Olympic break matchup against Chicago on Wednesday.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil missed Tuesday's practice due to migraines and is unlikely to play on Wednesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Czech forward, who has made only 12 appearances this season, is unfortunately dealing with health issues again. Chytil couldn't finish Monday's matchup against Utah after he "tweaked something." Winger Conor Garland (illness) also missed Tuesday's practice but is expected to be in the lineup against Vegas. Jake DeBrusk is set to fill Chytil's spot on the second line, while Drew O'Connor will be promoted to the first line.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
February 3, 2026
Chicago Blackhawks forward Nick Foligno (undisclosed) is traveling with the team and is expected to play on Wednesday against his former team, the Columbus Blue Jackets. An undisclosed health issue has kept Foligno sidelined for two games. After being a regular 30-point scorer, Foligno is unlikely to even hit the 20-point mark in 2025-26. He has been limited to 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 32 outings. These days, his main assets are leadership and physicality, as Foligno averages 2.5 hits per game. Landon Slaggert will depart the lineup on Wednesday if Foligno is ready to play.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 3, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro (lower body) is on track to rejoin the lineup on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. He has missed six games due to a lower-body injury. Fabbro's return will push Egor Zemula out of the lineup. After impressing in Columbus last season, Fabbro's production has declined in 2025-26, making him redundant for fantasy teams. In 48 appearances, Fabbro has registered seven points (three goals, four assists), 48 shots, 81 blocks, 42 hits, and a team-worst minus-13 rating.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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
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