April 8, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield (lower body) didn't finish Tuesday's matchup with the Boston Bruins, Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site reports. The 29-year-old left the game in the third period due to a lower-body injury. Chatfield made his 71st appearance of the season against Boston. He's played a significant role for the Hurricanes, averaging 20:06 of ice time. However, Chatfield hasn't really made an impact in fantasy hockey. He has recorded 17 points (two goals, 15 assists), 99 SOG, 62 blocks, and a plus-16 rating. Mike Reilly, who was a healthy scratch for a seventh consecutive game on Tuesday, will fill the void in the lineup on Thursday night against Chicago if Chatfield can't give it a go.
--Taavi PailkSource: Walt Ruff
April 8, 2026
Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri (upper body) was unavailable for most of Tuesday's 3-1 conference-clinching win over the St. Louis Blues. He took only seven shifts and logged 6:09 of ice time. The team ruled him out for the rest of the game at the start of the third period. Kadri has scored four goals and nine points in 16 games since rejoining the Avalanche in March. With Colorado sitting comfortably at the top of the Western Conference standings, it would make sense for the team if it didn't rush Kadri back during the regular season. Zakhar Bardakov and Joel Kiviranta will be options to enter the lineup on Thursday against Calgary if Kadri isn't healthy enough to face his former team.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
April 7, 2026
Boston Bruins center Morgan Geekie scored three goals, but it was not enough to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes as Boston lost 6-5 in overtime on Tuesday. He was on a big goal drought before Tuesday, having not scored a goal since March 5 -- 17 straight contests. Despite this drought, Geekie is having a career year with 37 goals, 66 points, and 22 penalty minutes.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek scored one goal and added two assists in a 5-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. The Swedish forward has now extended his point streak to four straight games. Ek has 19 goals and 32 assists in 69 games played and is tied for third place on the Wild with 51 points this season.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov (lower body) has been cleared to return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. He has been out of action for three games due to a lower-body injury. As a result of Mintyukov's return, Olen Zellweger will get the night off. Mintyukov's development has stalled during his third NHL campaign, as the 22-year-old has logged 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists), 74 SOG, and 106 blocks in 68 games. He will accompany John Carlson on the second defensive pairing on Tuesday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier (upper body) will miss a fourth consecutive game on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. The talented goal-scorer suffered an upper-body injury in late March. Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville has indicated that Gauthier could return to action before the end of the team's current five-game homestand, which finishes on Sunday against Vancouver. Gauthier is tied for third in the league with 15 goals since February. He leads the Ducks in goals (38) and points (65) this season. With Gauthier out, Ryan Poehling has joined the top six, tallying two goals and one assist in the last three games.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach (upper body) will be available for action on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers. He has been out since mid-March with an upper-body injury, which has cost Dach 11 games. Alexandre Texier (lower body) is also available after missing seven games. Although Dach has seen time on the top line this season, he is expected to return in a bottom-six capacity on Tuesday, which will severely limit his fantasy appeal. The 25-year-old has recorded 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 32 games this season. Dach is expected to slot into the lineup in place of Joe Veleno (undisclosed), who was absent from the morning skate.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (undisclosed) will return to the lineup for Tuesday's tilt against the Boston Bruins. The Hurricanes captain sat out Sunday's loss to Ottawa with an undisclosed injury. It appears it was just a maintenance day for Staal, as Carolina has little left to play for. Jordan Martinook (undisclosed) will also return after sitting out Sunday's action. The two are expected to skate with Nikolaj Ehlers on the third line. Staal and Martinook should benefit from Ehlers' skill and creativity. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Eric Robinson will spend the evening in the press box as healthy scratches.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Colorado Avalanche forwards Valeri Nichushkin (upper body) and Nicolas Roy (upper body) will rejoin the lineup on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues. While Nichushkin returns from a one-game absence, Roy has been unavailable for seven contests. Both players have been dealing with upper-body injuries. With Nichushkin back in the mix, Nazem Kadri will drop to the third line. However, Kadri will still have plenty of fantasy value thanks to his role on the first power-play unit. Roy will join Kadri on the third line alongside Ross Colton, but he hasn't made a significant impact in fantasy this season. Joel Kiviranta and Zakhar Bardakov will be scratched on Tuesday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (upper body) is going to miss "a few more games," according to head coach Jared Bednar. He will be absent for a fourth consecutive contest on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues. Bednar added that Makar will return before the end of the regular season, so it looks like the team will count on him for the final few games next week. The Avalanche are looking to clinch the Western Conference title on Tuesday, with Devon Toews and Sam Malinski playing larger roles on defense in Makar's absence.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (personal) won't play on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports. He has left the team to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. Considering Florida has nothing left to play for, it wouldn't be surprising if Tkachuk misses several games. His absence will give Mackie Samoskevich a chance to skate on the first line against Montreal. The 23-year-old has grown his reputation recently, scoring in four consecutive games before he finished pointless in Sunday's loss to Pittsburgh. He could be a good addition to fantasy squads, especially since Samoskevich will also log time on the first power-play unit.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jameson Olive
April 7, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov recorded his 400th career goal in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The former MVP found the back of the net on the power play midway through the first period. Steven Stamkos was previously the only Lightning player to score at least 400 times, and Kucherov became the eighth Russia-born player to reach the 400-goal mark. Following Monday night's action, Kucherov once again shares the NHL's scoring lead with Edmonton's Connor McDavid. He has bagged 126 points (43 goals, 83 assists) in 71 appearances, scoring in three consecutive games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 7, 2026
Vancouver Canucks left wing Evander Kane (undisclosed) didn't practice on Monday and is unlikely to play on Tuesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights. He is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. The veteran power forward has been dealing with the issue for a while, but he played through the injury to reach 1,000 career games a week ago. Kane then sat out the last two games of a four-game road trip before returning to the lineup for Saturday's home contest against Utah, where he was honored in a pregame ceremony commemorating his 1,000th regular-season game. With Vancouver firmly planted at the bottom of the standings, there's little reason to push Kane back into action when he's not at 100 percent.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
April 7, 2026
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (upper body) won't be available for Tuesday's tilt against the Vegas Golden Knights. After battling an illness over the weekend, Lankinen missed Monday's practice and is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 30-year-old has had a miserable campaign in Vancouver, going 9-26-5 across 40 starts. He carries a 3.69 goals-against average and a .875 save percentage. Jiri Patera was recalled on an emergency basis from the minors before Saturday's clash against Utah and will presumably stay with the big club until Lankinen returns. Nikita Tolopilo started Saturday's game, allowing six goals with a .739 save percentage in a 7-4 loss.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
April 7, 2026
Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron (lower body) is week-to-week. He missed Monday's win over Seattle and could be out for the remainder of the regular season. The 27-year-old has had the best season of his career, posting 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 65 games. He is fourth on the Jets' roster with 132 hits. Losing Barron is a setback for the playoff-chasing Winnipeg, but the team welcomed back some reinforcements on Monday. Nino Niederreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov both returned to action, with the latter finishing the scoring with an empty-net goal in a 6-2 victory.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
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