January 29, 2026
Utah Mammoth winger Dylan Guenther (lower body) will be sidelined for a second consecutive game on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The talented forward exited the lineup at the start of the week due to a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. It's possible that Guenther, who leads Utah with 24 goals and has 45 points in 52 games, will be able to end his absence on Saturday against the Dallas Stars. Logan Cooley (lower body) is also nearing his return after rejoining practice this week. In the meantime, Barrett Hayton will continue to center the second line, while Kailer Yamamoto will be on third-line duty against Carolina.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 29, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (lower body) will return from a five-game absence on Thursday night against the Utah Mammoth. He will join Alexander Nikishin on the third defensive pairing and jump on the first power-play unit. Gostisbehere has had an impressive year with the Hurricanes, posting 32 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 35 outings. 10 of his points have come with the man advantage. Unfortunately, injuries have robbed Gostisbehere of 17 games. With the Mammoth's penalty kill operating at a mediocre 80 percent efficiency, Gostisbehere has a good chance to make a significant impact in his return.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 29, 2026
Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (upper body) will skip Thursday's tilt against the St. Louis Blues. The Finnish forward suffered an upper-body injury in Tuesday's matchup against the Utah Mammoth. Initially, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice expected Lundell to be fine for Thursday's action, but he will miss at least one game due to the ailment. Lundell is considered day-to-day and could be back on the ice on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. Luke Kunin will replace Lundell in the lineup against Philadelphia, while Cole Schwindt will join Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand on the third line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 29, 2026
Boston Bruins center Elias Lindholm (upper body) won't play in Thursday's contest against the Philadelphia Flyers. He suffered an upper-body injury in Tuesday's win over the Nashville Predators and is considered day-to-day. The Bruins are set to promote Fraser Minten to the top line. The 21-year-old bagged an assist against Nashville and has collected 11 of his 26 points this season across 13 January appearances. As a result of Lindholm's exit from the lineup, Matthew Poitras will make his first appearance of the campaign on the third line. Poitras has flashed potential in previous years, but his 2025-26 campaign hasn't gone too well. In 39 AHL outings, Poitras has contributed eight goals and 16 assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 29, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin (undisclosed) will be in the lineup on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Russian star appeared to have been injured in Sunday's win over the Vancouver Canucks, but he won't miss any time. On Sunday, Malkin scored in a third consecutive game. He has tallied 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 10 outings since returning from an upper-body injury. Malkin will remain on the second line against Chicago, while Justin Brazeau will replace Bryan Rust (suspension) on the first line. Rutger McGroarty has been recalled from the minors to join the third line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 29, 2026
Ottawa Senators goaltender James Reimer saved 16 of 18 shots in Wednesday's 5-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. The veteran netminder faced a difficult matchup but came through it with flying colors. Reimer has had a decent start to his Senators career, going 2-2-1 across five appearances. However, he has allowed 3.05 goals with a lowly .874 save percentage. The 37-year-old must definitely improve these numbers to earn more action now that Linus Ullmark (personal) is back with the team.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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
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