March 12, 2026
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight (illness) will be available for Thursday's matchup with the Utah Mammoth, Kalen Lumpkins of the Chicago Tribune reports. The 24-year-old netminder has sat out three games due to illness. Knight has had it tough lately, dropping seven of his last eight decisions. Still, he's done solid work in the crease for the Blackhawks in 2025-26, posting a 16-18-8 record, a 2.62 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage, and three shutouts. Knight beat Utah 3-1 in October, and Chicago will look to sweep the regular-season series on Thursday.
--Taavi PailkSource: Kalen Lumpkins
March 12, 2026
San Jose Sharks winger William Eklund (lower body) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Boston Bruins, Max Miller of NHL.com reports. The talented forward has a lower-body injury and didn't practice on Wednesday. Eklund has been the fifth-highest scoring Shark this season, posting 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 58 games. However, he also carries a team-worst minus-26 rating, showing the 23-year-old has struggled during even-strength situations. Eklund's health issues could allow Pavol Regenda to rejoin the lineup. Regenda has scored eight goals in 18 appearances this season but has been used very sparingly in recent weeks.
--Taavi PailkSource: Max Miller
March 12, 2026
Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin finished Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers with a power-play assist. He set up Ryan Leonard for a goal midway through the first period to give Washington the lead, but the team's offense was flat for the rest of the contest. Before Wednesday night, Ovechkin went scoreless for three games, and he's had a tough time making an impact since the Olympic break finished. Over the past seven games, Ovechkin has tallied just two goals and one assist. Nonetheless, at 40 years old, the veteran star has maintained a solid level of performance in 2025-26. With 66 games played, Ovechkin has contributed 24 goals and 27 assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson extended his career-high road point streak to 10 games with an assist in Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. He helped Juraj Slafkovsky open the scoring late in the first period. Another productive road outing would allow Hutson to match a franchise record among defensemen. He will have to wait for a bit for his chance to make history, as the Canadiens begin a three-game homestand on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks. Hutson will enter the matchup with 66 points (11 goals, 55 assists) in 64 games. Only two blue-liners in the league have recorded more points this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov played a key role in Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators, finishing with two points. The Russian talent became the second rookie this season with 50 points, assisting Juraj Slafkovsky in the first period and netting the game-winning goal with 7:20 played in the third. Demidov is neck and neck with Anaheim's Beckett Sennecke in the race to finish first in scoring among rookies. Both players have 51 points. Demidov has reached the mark with 14 goals and 37 assists in 64 games. He has been a bit quiet in recent months, notching points in back-to-back games only two times in 2026.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
Utah Mammoth forward Nick Schmaltz committed his long-term future to the team, signing an eight-year, $64 million contract extension on Wednesday. He is currently on a seven-year, $40.95 million deal, which will expire this offseason. Without an extension, Schmaltz would have been a very attractive free agency target for teams. He's enjoyed a great spell with his current franchise, posting a new career high with 63 points last season. A year later, Schmaltz is well on track for another career high, sitting on 59 points (24 goals, 35 assists) through 65 games. He has already established his new single-season record with 24 goals.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 11, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers right winger Owen Tippett scored an empty-net goal and added an assist as the Flyers defeated the Capitals by a score of 4-1 on Wednesday. Tippett assisted on a Trevor Zegras goal to make it 2-1 in the second period, and then his empty-netter with one minute left in the third period helped seal a 4-1 victory for the Flyers. He now has 21 goals and 39 points for the Flyers, which is the third-most points for the Eastern Conference club.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
March 11, 2026
Ottawa Senators right winger Drake Batherson had two goals, but it wasn't enough as his team lost a tight 3-2 game to the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night. Both his goals came in quick succession late in the first period, one on a deflection and one on a tip-in, but Ottawa was not able to hold on to the 2-1 lead. Batherson is having another fine season with 25 goals and 32 assists, which is good for second on his team in points.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
March 11, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (lower body) is expected to miss a few more games. Due to a lower-body injury, he was sidelined for a second consecutive contest on Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Before the game, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour noted Gistisbehere will be out for "the next couple of games." Carolina will return to action on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. Mike Reilly has slotted into the lineup as Gostisbehere's replacement, recording an assist in Tuesday's 5-4 shootout win. Meanwhile, Alexander Nikishin's power-play time has significantly increased, and he scored with the man advantage against Pittsburgh. The Russian rearguard also picked up an even-strength assist.
--Taavi PailkSource: Walt Ruff
March 11, 2026
St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas (upper body) is expected to remain in the lineup despite being hurt in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports. Thomas appeared to have sustained a hand injury and took only one faceoff during Tuesday's game. The 26-year-old dished out two assists against the Islanders, recording his fourth multi-point game in five appearances since returning from a leg injury. While Thomas has played in only 47 of St. Louis' 64 games, he leads his team in scoring with 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists).
--Taavi PailkSource: Lou Korac
March 11, 2026
Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton (upper body) left Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers midway through the second period. Colton scored the first goal of the game just 32 seconds into the first frame, but he couldn't finish the contest due to an upper-body injury. "He took a shot from a player during the game and then he kind of tightened up," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said postgame. "So, he's got an upper-body injury, and hopefully he loosens up for tomorrow and can play in Seattle (on Thursday)." Colorado has recently lost Gabriel Landeskog (lower body) and Artturi Lehkonen (upper body) from its top-six group, so the team will be desperate to have Colton available on Thursday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 11, 2026
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram landed in concussion protocol during Tuesday's tilt against the Colorado Avalanche, but he is "feeling well," according to head coach Kris Knoblauch. Ingram exited Tuesday's 4-3 road win late in the second period after a collision with Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, who was controversially tossed from the game following the incident. After a shaky start, during which Ingram allowed two first-period goals, he delivered a solid performance with 15 saves. Tristan Jarry stopped 11 of 12 shots as Ingram's replacement. Since making his Oilers debut in late December, Ingram has produced a 9-6-1 record with one shutout. He has a 2.79 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 11, 2026
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (leg) is doubtful to play for the rest of the team's current four-game road trip, Max Bultman of The Athletic reports. The Red Wings captain has missed the first two stops on the trip due to a leg injury. With him out, Andrew Copp (lower body) has taken on first-line center duties, but he was also hurt in Tuesday's loss to the Florida Panthers. Copp has been labeled doubtful for Thursday night's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Marco Kasper and J.T. Compher will take on expanded roles if Copp and Larkin don't play on Thursday.
--Taavi PailkSource: Max Bultman
March 11, 2026
Detroit Red Wings forward Andrew Copp (lower body) exited Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers in the second period. He suffered a lower-body injury during a faceoff, leaving Detroit without its top two centermen. Dylan Larkin (leg) was out for a second consecutive game. Another injury blow may leave the Red Wings short of quality in the middle against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. Marco Kasper, who scored Detroit's third goal on Tuesday, could get the top-line center job against Tampa, with J.T. Compher also slotting into the top six.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
March 11, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Justin Brazeau (upper body) is considered week-to-week, the team announced on Tuesday. Brazeau was out of the lineup for the second consecutive contest on Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes, joining Sidney Crosby (lower body) and Evgeni Malkin (suspension) on the sidelines. The Penguins' frontline looks incredibly thin right now, but they made Carolina work hard for two points on Tuesday, only losing 5-4 in a shootout. Bryan Rust and Egor Chinakhov, who skated on the first line with Rickard Rakell, combined for five points. Anthony Mantha and Ville Koivunen also performed well. Until Pittsburgh gets some players back, this group will need to maintain its strong play.
--Taavi PailkSource: Pittsburgh Penguins PR
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