February 28, 2026
Florida Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis (undisclosed) was unable to finish Friday's 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. He exited the game with an undisclosed injury in the second period, finishing with 8:38 of ice time. Balinskis recorded two shots and one block in the contest. The team plans to evaluate Balinskis on Saturday. The Latvian blue-liner has logged 14 points (five goals, nine assists), 61 shots, 37 blocks, and 63 hits in 50 outings across the season. If Balinskis can't suit up on Sunday against the New York Islanders, the Panthers will likely turn to Tobias Bjornfot to fill in for him.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 28, 2026
Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele appeared to injure his right leg in Friday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks. The star forward was hurt at the end of overtime and was under evaluation when Jets head coach Scott Arniel spoke to reporters after the game. Vladimir Namestnikov (lower body) was also injured in Friday's heartbreaking loss, where the Jets blew a 3-1 lead in the third period. Scheifele's injury could open the door for Jonathan Toews to log top-six minutes on Sunday against the San Jose Sharks. However, the former All-Star hasn't been a good fantasy option in 2025-26 and is currently on an eight-game point drought.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
February 28, 2026
Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (face) left Friday's 5-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth after logging only 10:25 of ice time. He took a high stick to the face from Mammoth forward Nick Schmaltz in the second period. There was no update on him after the game, leaving a question mark hanging over Eriksson Ek ahead of Sunday's matchup with the St. Louis Blues. Eriksson Ek has totaled 42 points (17 goals, 25 assists) in 54 appearances, dishing out 78 hits. If the Swedish forward can't play on Sunday, Danila Yurov could return to the top six, while Ben Jones would be his likely replacement in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
February 27, 2026
Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson made 24 of 26 saves in Friday night's victory versus the Golden Knights. He earned his second win in as many games back from the Olympic break after Wednesday night's match against the Flyers. Thompson was perfect through two periods, but then Bowman scored 2:27 into the third period, and Hertl had a power-play goal with 10:45 left in the game. He was able to hang on for the victory and continue his strong season.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
February 27, 2026
Washington Capitals forward Pierre-Luc Dubois lit the lamp twice in Friday night's 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Playing in just his ninth game of the season, Pierre scored twice early in the second period, with Aleksei Protas and Rasmus Sandin getting credited with the assists. He has three goals and two assists this year, but last year he had 20 goals and 66 points when he ended up playing the full 82-game slate. The Capitals are back in action on Saturday night versus the Canadiens.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
February 27, 2026
Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin (knee) will miss the rest of the 2025-26 season, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. According to Friedman, Dallas filed paperwork declaring Seguin out for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. This will give the team full relief from Seguin's $9.85 million cap hit. The veteran forward underwent ACL surgery on his right knee on Dec. 19. Seguin will finish his 16th NHL campaign with 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 27 games. Dallas has also just lost Mikko Rantanen (lower body), opening the door for Mavrik Bourque and Sam Steel to take on expanded roles.
--Taavi PailkSource: Elliotte Friedman
February 27, 2026
Buffalo Sabres left wing Zach Benson (upper body) could return to action on Friday against the Florida Panthers, Justin Alpert of Sabres.com reports. Benson skated Friday morning, and Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff hasn't ruled him out for the game. However, Ruff suggested Benson's return is more likely to come on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Benson has missed three games with an upper-body injury. He has contributed seven goals and 19 assists in 42 appearances this season. If Benson doesn't return on Friday, Peyton Krebs will continue to have a larger role.
--Taavi PailkSource: Justin Alpert
February 27, 2026
Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (illness) will be in the lineup on Friday against the Vegas Golden Knights, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports. The power forward didn't play in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Philadelphia after waking up ill. Wilson will be part of the second line with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Connor McMichael, with Hendrix Lapierre scratched for the contest. It's safe to say Wilson has been Washington's best player this season, racking up 49 points (23 goals, 26 assists) and 132 hits in 50 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sammi Silber
February 27, 2026
Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (lower body) will remain out for the team's upcoming back-to-back set, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports. Washington faces Vegas on Friday and Montreal on Saturday. Carlson missed his fifth game of the season on Wednesday night against Philadelphia. Declan Chisholm entered the lineup on Wednesday and will remain part of the defensive group for Friday's game. Although Chisholm hasn't been very productive this season, he contributed an assist in Wednesday's 3-1 win. The 26-year-old didn't record any defensive stats but finished with a plus-one rating over 15:08 of action.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sammi Silber
February 27, 2026
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (not injury-related) is expected to return to the crease for Friday night's action against the Anaheim Ducks, Mitchell Clinton of the Jets' official site reports. Winnipeg started Eric Comrie between the sticks in its first post-Olympics game on Wednesday, giving Hellebuyck some extra rest after he helped Team USA win gold in Milan on Sunday. Hellebuyck had a great tournament with the U.S., but it's been a different story for him with the Jets this season. Across 36 starts, Hellebuyck has posted a 13-16-7 record. He hasn't yet registered a single shutout and holds a 2.79 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. The three-time Vezina Trophy winner has allowed at least three goals in each of his last five starts, going 1-3-1.
--Taavi PailkSource: Mitchell Clinton
February 27, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Samuel Girard (lower body) didn't practice on Friday. The team announced that Girard is being evaluated for a lower-body injury. Girard, who was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche at the start of the week, just made his Penguins debut. He logged 17:53 of ice time in Thursday's 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils, finishing with one shot on goal and four blocks. The Penguins face the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, and Girard is traveling with the team. This suggests he might be available for the contest. If Girard can't play, the Penguins will use Ilya Solovyov or Ryan Graves as his replacement.
--Taavi PailkSource: Pittsburgh Penguins
February 27, 2026
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky had a quality performance in Thursday's 5-1 victory against the Maple Leafs. The veteran goalie stopped 28 of 29 shots on goal and allowed just one goal in the contest, which was a power-play goal in the opening minute of the third period by Maple Leafs center John Tavares. Bobrovsky has struggled throughout the 2025-26 season, with totals of a 3.08 goals-against average and .874 save percentage through 41 appearances, but the two-time Vezina trophy-winning netminder is worth rostering across standard formats.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
February 27, 2026
Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand scored two goals in Thursday's 5-1 victory against the Maple Leafs. Marchand opened the scoring in the first period to give the Panthers the lead, and he added an empty-net goal with just over three minutes remaining in the contest while finishing with a plus-two rating. Marchand now has 27 goals through 47 games, which ties him for the team lead, while the veteran forward has totaled 52 points on the season and remains a valuable option across all fantasy leagues.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
February 27, 2026
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson scored twice in a 4-3 overtime loss versus his former team, the New York Islanders, on Thursday. The goals were his 11th and 12th of the season, and he now has 40 points total on the campaign. The first goal was on even strength in the first period, and the second goal came on the power play halfway through the second frame. Dobson's next game will be on Saturday versus the Washington Capitals.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
February 27, 2026
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer scored two goals in a 4-3 overtime win versus the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. The first goal came at 17:56 into the second period, and the following goal came just 55 seconds later. The rookie now has 18 goals and 23 assists in 59 games played this season. His next game is on Saturday night versus the Blue Jackets.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
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