October 23, 2025
Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach (lower body) will return to the lineup for Thursday's meeting with the Edmonton Oilers. He's been unavailable for three games due to a lower-body injury. Dach has made five appearances this season, producing one goal and one assist. The 24-year-old has yet to return to top form after suffering from knee issues. Montreal plans to ease Dach back into action, as he's set to skate with Joe Veleno and Zack Bolduc on the fourth line. Additionally, Dach will take on duties on the second power-play unit.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
October 23, 2025
Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm (undisclosed) is a game-time decision for Thursday's tilt against the Anaheim Ducks. Lindholm has missed a pair of games due to an undisclosed ailment, but he could be ready to return to action against his former team. The Swedish blue-liner was on the ice for the morning skate. This season, Lindholm has also missed time because of a lower-body injury, making only three appearances. Jordan Harris (lower body) has filled in for Lindholm, but he's now hurt as well, and Michael Callahan is set to play on Thursday if Lindholm isn't available.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
October 23, 2025
Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (upper body) sat out Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres and will also be out for Thursday's clash against the New York Islanders. The former MVP is battling an upper-body injury, and Thursday's game will mark his third consecutive absence. Kane has played well early in the season, notching five points (two goals, three assists) in five games. He has totaled three points (one goal, two assists) on the power play. Detroit plans to re-evaluate Kane before Saturday's tilt against the St. Louis Blues. Despite losing Kane, the Red Wings offense has been hot, with captain Dylan Larkin leading the charge.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
October 23, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (illness) is expected to rejoin the lineup for Thursday's tilt against the Chicago Blackhawks. The back-to-back Art Ross Trophy winner has missed a pair of games due to illness, but he returned to practice earlier in the week. On Wednesday, Kucherov skated with Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. Kucherov has experienced some early-season struggles, and it looks like Lightning head coach Jon Cooper wants to try to get him going with a new pair of linemates. In four appearances this season, Kucherov has been limited to three points (one goal, two assists), and he holds a minus-eight rating.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
October 23, 2025
Vancouver Canucks right wing Brock Boeser (personal) is back with the team and available for Thursday's matchup against the Nashville Predators. Boeser has been out for two games due to personal reasons. In five outings this season, the American winger has scored three goals with 10 shots. Boeser's return marks a big boost for the Canucks, who have lost several forwards to injuries. Before exiting the lineup, he logged 20-plus minutes in back-to-back games, and the current injury situation may also result in a heavy workload for Boeser on Thursday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
October 23, 2025
New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer finished Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild with two assists. His efforts allowed Paul Cotter and Brenden Dillon to put the Devils into a 2-0 lead. This was Mercer's second multi-point outing of the season, and he's sitting among New Jersey's top scorers. With seven games played, Mercer has tallied three goals and four assists. In back-to-back years, Mercer has failed to reach the 40-point plateau, but his early-season form suggests that he can get there during the 2025-26 campaign. Currently, Mercer is limited to a third-line role, but he's seeing time on the Devils' first power-play unit.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
October 23, 2025
Buffalo Sabres right wing Jack Quinn had a goal and two assists in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Quinn's playmaking helped Buffalo score twice in the second period, and he recorded the game-winning goal on a power play early in the third. With this productive outing, Quinn doubled his points total for the season, and he now shares Buffalo's scoring lead with six points (three goals, three assists) in seven games. All of Quinn's points have come in the past four games, so he's on a bit of a hot streak heading into the weekend's home-and-home set against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
October 23, 2025
Buffalo Sabres left wing Jason Zucker (upper body) scored the opening goal in Wednesday's 4-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, but he had to exit the game early due to injury. The veteran forward was hurt in the second period while absorbing a hit. Zucker is off to a good start to the campaign, leading the Sabres with four goals in seven games. He has also registered one assist. Buffalo must tweak its third line and top power-play unit if Zucker isn't available on Friday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
--Taavi PailkSource: Buffalo Sabres
October 22, 2025
New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov (upper body) is expected to spend at least two more games on the sidelines. This rules him out for the rest of the week's action, as the Islanders return to the ice on Thursday against Detroit and have a visit to Philadelphia scheduled for Saturday. Romanov has already missed two games due to an upper-body injury. He has recorded 12 blocks and 15 hits in four contests this season. Adam Boqvist has played during Romanov's absence and looks set to remain in the lineup on Thursday. Boqvist has been anonymous in two appearances so far, averaging 13:43 of ice time on the third defensive pairing.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
October 22, 2025
New York Islanders left wing Pierre Engvall (ankle) is not expected to play this season. On Wednesday, Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche announced tha Engvall underwent ankle surgery. The Swedish forward also had hip surgery during the offseason, which has kept him out of action at the start of the 2025-26 campaign. Since joining the team in 2023, Engvall has had a limited impact and recorded only 15 points (eight goals and seven assists) in 62 appearances last season. He has entered the third season of a seven-year, $21 million contract.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
October 22, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (lower body) was deemed week-to-week by head coach Bruce Cassidy on Wednesday. He suffered a lower-body injury on Monday against the Carolina Hurricanes, and the issue will likely keep Hill sidelined for multiple games. Hill has posted a 1-2-0 record this season, allowing 2.73 goals with a .888 save percentage. With him on the shelf, the team will rely on Akira Schmid, who boasts a perfect 4-0-0 record. On Wednesday, Carl Lindbom was recalled from the minors to provide backup for Schmid in the upcoming games.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
October 22, 2025
Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine (upper body) will miss a third straight game on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames. He reportedly plans to seek a second opinion regarding his upper-body injury. While Laine is still considered day-to-day, it appears that he isn't dealing with a minor issue. Unfortunately, Laine's start to the season has not been promising; even when he was playing, the Finnish forward struggled to make a positive impact. In five games, Laine recorded only one assist and had a minus-three rating. Since he is unavailable for Wednesday's game, it seems likely that Laine will also miss Thursday's matchup against the Edmonton Oilers.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
October 22, 2025
Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi (lower body) will return from a one-game absence on Wednesday versus the New Jersey Devils. He has made a quick recovery from a lower-body injury, which kept Rossi sidelined on Monday against the New York Rangers. The talented Austrian forward has posted five points (one goal, four assists) in six appearances this season. On Wednesday, Rossi is expected to center Minnesota's second line, with Marcus Johansson and Vladimir Tarasenko on his wings.
--Taavi PailkSource: New Jersey Devils PR
October 22, 2025
New Jersey Devils forward Cody Glass (upper body) will miss Wednesday's matchup against the Minnesota Wild. Glass logged his usual ice time in Tuesday's victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he also sustained an upper-body injury during the action. On Tuesday, Glass scored a power-play goal, bringing his total to two goals for the season, which are his only points in six games. Glass will be replaced in the lineup by Stefan Noesen, who is returning from a groin injury and will make his season debut.
--Taavi PailkSource: New Jersey Devils
October 22, 2025
New Jersey Devils winger Stefan Noesen (groin) will join the lineup on Wednesday against the Minnesota Wild. The 32-year-old is ready to make his season debut after recovering from a groin injury. Noesen will enter the lineup on the fourth line, but he should settle into a middle-six role once he has picked up some form. Last season, Noesen had a career year with the Devils, scoring 22 goals and 41 points in 78 outings. Additionally, he recorded 152 hits, ranking third on his team.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
RADIO
