January 23, 2026
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper (upper body) returned to practice on Thursday and will be an option for Saturday's matchup against the St. Louis Blues. Kuemper left Tuesday's win over the New York Rangers early due to an upper-body injury. He was unable to continue after a collision with Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski. "Yeah, kind of got hit on the side of my neck, and it pinched my neck and pinched the nerves, and my arm went dead," Kuemper said. "So, yeah, wasn't allowed to come back in until we did some further testing yesterday." Kuemper, who is on Team Canada's roster for the Olympics, has shown outstanding form throughout 2025-26, allowing 2.52 goals with a .904 save percentage and two shutouts. However, because of the Kings' inconsistent offense, Kuemper has won only about a third of his starts, going 12-9-9.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 23, 2026
Buffalo Sabres left wing Zach Benson (upper body) was injured in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times reports. With a couple of minutes left to play, Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc hit Benson in the head with his elbow. Benson registered the game-winning goal in the contest, ending a three-game point drought. While scoring hasn't been easy for Benson in recent games, he is enjoying a career year. The 20-year-old has notched 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) across 37 outings. Buffalo also lost defenseman Jacob Bryson (upper body) to injury on Thursday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: Bill Hoppe
January 22, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (upper body) is questionable for Thursday's tilt against the Edmonton Oilers. He is dealing with an upper-body injury and missed Wednesday's win over the Calgary Flames after being a game-time decision. Jack St. Ivany came into the lineup and impressed with two assists in a 4-1 win. Ryan Shea, who took Letang's spot on the first power-play unit, made an impact as well with one assist. Brett Kulak also saw power-play time, while Parker Wotherspoon led the blue line in ice time with 22:14. The entire defensive unit must step up again on Thursday night if Letang remains out. Pittsburgh's defense has also recently operated without Erik Karlsson (lower body), who missed a fifth consecutive game on Wednesday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 22, 2026
Chicago Blackhawks forwards Frank Nazar (face) and Andre Burakovsky (illness) will hop back into the lineup on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Nazar has missed 14 games after taking a puck to the face, while Burakovsky wasn't available for Monday's win over the Winnipeg Jets due to illness. During the morning skate, Nazar worked as the second-line center, and Burakovsky joined Ryan Greene and Connor Bedard on the first line. The duo will also strengthen Chicago's power-play units. Nazar has managed 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 33 appearances this season. Burakovsky is Chicago's third-highest scorer, with 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) in 43 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 22, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Mason Marchment (upper body) was activated from Injured Reserve and is set to rejoin the lineup on Thursday against the Dallas Stars. Marchment hasn't played for eight games due to an upper-body injury. He is projected to have a top-line role against Dallas, skating with Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko. Marchment is also on track to join the first power-play unit. The 30-year-old, who was acquired from Seattle on Dec. 19, has been a perfect fit in Columbus. He has recorded five goals and two assists in seven outings with his new team.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 22, 2026
Montreal Canadiens winger Alexandre Texier (lower body) remains day-to-day and won't play on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. A lower-body injury will keep him out for a second consecutive game. Texier's next chance to return will be on Saturday in an Original Six matchup against the Boston Bruins. In the meantime, Kirby Dach will continue in a top-line role. He ended a 31-game absence on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, logging 16:46 of ice time. Although Dach went pointless, he still made an impact in a 4-3 victory with three blocked shots, one hit, and two shots on goal.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 22, 2026
Minnesota Wild forwards Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body) and Marcus Johansson (lower body) skated on Thursday morning and could return to the lineup against the Detroit Red Wings. Eriksson Ek has sat out six games due to a lower-body injury and must be activated from Injured Reserve to return. Johansson has been dealing with a lower-body injury as well, missing three games. If they are ready to return, Eriksson Ek and Johansson are expected to join the second line and link up with Vladimir Tarasenko, who has been red-hot lately. Over the last four games, Tarasenko has notched five goals and three assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 22, 2026
Ottawa Senators winger David Perron will be out for 5-7 weeks because of a sports hernia that will require surgery. Stephen Halliday will replace Perron in the lineup on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. Perron has been hot offensively in recent games, posting two goals and two assists in four appearances. For the season, he has totaled 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 49 contests. If Perron can recover in five weeks, he could be back in the Senators lineup right after the Olympic break. Halliday has contributed six assists in 18 NHL appearances this season. He has been a point-per-game player in the AHL.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 22, 2026
Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen (illness) won't play on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He will miss a second straight game due to illness after being a late scratch on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins. The Stars have struggled in 2026, and Rantanen's absence is a big blow for the team. Rantanen ranks sixth in the league with 63 points (19 goals, 44 assists) in 48 appearances. Mavrik Bourque is expected to continue in a first-line role on Thursday night. He made a big impact on Tuesday, contributing a power-play goal and an even-strength assist in a 6-2 win.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 22, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin was in top form on Wednesday night against the Calgary Flames, recording a goal and an assist in a 4-1 road victory. Malkin opened the scoring in the first period and helped Egor Chinakhov tally the game-winning goal in the second. Since returning from an upper-body injury earlier this month, Malkin has contributed three goals and five assists in eight appearances. He has been a point-per-game player all season, bagging 11 goals and 26 assists in 34 outings. Malkin's hot form also boosts the fantasy value of his linemates. Tommy Novak is currently skating with Malkin and Chinakhov.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 22, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers center Christian Dvorak ended a four-game point drought with two goals and one assist in Wednesday's dramatic 5-4 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth. Dvorak's second tally of the night put the Flyers up 4-2 entering the third period, and they still led by one with a minute remaining in regulation, but ultimately let the win slip away. Dvorak's recent play in the offensive zone hasn't been productive, but he's had a solid campaign overall, earning him a five-year, $25.75 million contract extension earlier this month. The 29-year-old is Philadelphia's third-highest scorer, with 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 48 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 22, 2026
Utah Mammoth winger Clayton Keller led his team with three points in Wednesday's 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. After tallying an assist in the second period, Keller produced some late-game heroics. 19:25 into the third period, Keller scored the latest game-tying goal in franchise history, and he added a second goal with 2:01 played in overtime. Keller had scored just once in 11 appearances before coming up clutch for the Mammoth on Wednesday night. Despite his recent lack of puck luck, Keller has remained a consistent offensive contributor for his team. Wednesday's game marked his sixth multi-point performance of the month. After 50 games, Keller leads Utah with 34 assists and 49 points.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 22, 2026
Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal was sensational in Wednesday's matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, backstopping his team to a 2-1 shootout win with 40 saves. The league leaders struggled to solve Dostal all night, ending his shutout bid only 3:39 from the end of regulation. Dostal, who won a fourth consecutive start, produced two saves during the shootout. The Ducks recently had a nine-game losing streak, but Dostal still owns an impressive 17-12-2 record for the season. Only nine goalies in the league have had more winning performances. Dostal's goals-against average stands at 3.04, and he has registered a .894 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 22, 2026
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin recorded a goal and an assist in Wednesday's 2-1 overtime victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Red Wings captain set up Simon Edvinsson for a goal late in the first period and lit the lamp himself 3:08 into the extra frame, tying Sergei Fedorov for the most overtime goals in franchise history (12). Larkin had a second consecutive multi-point outing. He is on track to post his fifth consecutive 30-goal campaign and is attempting to reach 70 points in a season for the fourth time in his career. In 51 outings, Larkin has contributed 25 goals and 21 assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 22, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (lower body) exited Wednesday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings after logging only 1:50 of ice time. He suffered a lower-body injury early in the game and was ruled out for the rest of the contest at the beginning of the second period. Toronto's blue line has taken injury hits throughout the season, but Ekman-Larsson has appeared in all 50 games so far. He has had a good campaign, logging 31 points (eight goals, 23 assists), 72 shots, 41 blocks, and 62 hits. A major injury to Ekman-Larsson would also be a blow for Team Sweden, which has already lost Minnesota's Jonas Brodin (lower back) on defense heading into the 2026 Olympics.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
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