January 3, 2026
Vancouver Canucks center Linus Karlsson scored in Friday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks shortly after the team announced that he had signed a new contract. The Swedish forward has taken a significant leap in 2025-26 and was rewarded with a two-year, $4.5 million extension. This season, Karlsson has been playing on a one-year, $775,000 deal. He has offered great value for money in Vancouver, scoring 10 goals and 17 points in 37 outings. Only Kiefer Sherwood (17) has more goals for the Canucks. Additionally, Karlsson has recorded 51 hits while averaging 10:38 of ice time. Currently, Karlsson is showing his best form of the season, scoring in three of the last four games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 2, 2026
Los Angeles Kings winger Trevor Moore (illness) is on track to return to the lineup Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports. After missing Thursday's loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning due to illness, Moore participated in Friday's practice wearing a regular jersey. He worked with Quinton Byfield and Warren Foegele on the second line. Moore's return will bump Joel Armia down the lineup, and Jeff Malott appears to be the odd man out. Following a 40-point effort in 2024-25, Moore faces an uphill challenge in reaching 30 points this term. He has five goals and eight assists in 37 contests, going scoreless in nine of his past 10 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: Zach Dooley
January 2, 2026
San Jose Sharks defenseman John Klingberg (lower body) is considered doubtful for Saturday's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has been ever-present in the lineup since late November but might have to skip the first game of 2026 due to a lower-body injury. After a couple of very tough years, Klingberg has been a decent contributor for the Sharks, posting 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in 31 games. He's on track to finish with a positive plus/minus for the first time since 2018-19. Timothy Liljegren (upper body) is on the cusp of returning to the lineup and looks to be a likely replacement for Klingberg on Saturday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 2, 2026
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (illness) is considered probable for Friday's matchup against the Minnesota Wild. He has sat out two games due to illness. Gudas is projected to replace Drew Helleson in the Ducks' defense, joining Olen Zellweger on the second defensive pairing. Minnesota ranks ninth in hits per 60 minutes this season, making Gudas's return on Friday night a nice boost for the Ducks. The Czech veteran is second on his team with 94 hits and has registered eight points (one goal, seven assists), 35 shots, and 49 blocks across 27 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 2, 2026
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (upper body) is out week-to-week, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Vegas got star forward Jack Eichel (lower body) back for Friday's contest against the St. Louis Blues but will be without McNabb for several games. The team will mainly miss McNabb's presence in the defensive zone, as he leads Vegas with 98 blocks and is tied for third with 63 hits in 38 appearances. Offensively, McNabb has contributed two goals and one assist. Jaycob Megna replaced McNabb in the lineup on Friday.
--Taavi PailkSource: Danny Webster
January 2, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (lower body) plans to return to the lineup Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports. He has missed four games due to a lower-body injury. The team moved Brendan Smith (lower body) to Injured Reserve on Friday, allowing Werenski to be activated for Saturday's contest. Werenski, who has just been named to Team USA for the 2026 Olympics, was in red-hot form before his injury, averaging two points per game across five appearances. He's having a career year with the Blue Jackets, scoring a team-high 40 points (14 goals, 26 assists) in 35 outings. Denton Mateychuk has filled in for Werenski on the first power-play unit and will lose fantasy value with his return.
--Taavi PailkSource: Aaron Portzline
January 2, 2026
New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (lower body) was activated from Injured Reserve and will dress as the backup on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sorokin, who suffered a lower-body injury on Dec. 19, has been unavailable for six games. After backing up David Rittich on Saturday, Sorokin is likely to return to the Islanders' crease on Tuesday night against the New Jersey Devils. In December, Sorokin won five of his seven starts, improving to 12-10-2 for the season. He has recorded three shutouts with a 2.55 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 2, 2026
New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (lower body) will miss at least one week. The veteran forward sustained a lower-body injury on New Year's Day against the Utah Mammoth. The Islanders have three games scheduled over the next seven days, starting with Saturday's matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The injury is a setback to Horvat's bid for his second career 70-point campaign. In 36 outings, he has produced a team-high 21 goals and 12 assists. With Horvat out, the Islanders will use Mathew Barzal as the first-line center, with Jean-Gabriel Pageau shifting to the middle on the second line. Maxim Tsyplakov will fill in for Pageau on the right wing.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 2, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho welcomed 2026 with mixed emotions on Thursday, bagging a season-high five points in a matchup against the Montreal Canadiens but ending up on the losing side. Aho finished the contest with two goals and three assists, but Carolina blew a 4-2 lead to lose 7-5. The Finnish forward had two power-play points during his second career five-point outing. After a couple of rough weeks in December, Aho has put together a string of impressive performances, totaling seven goals and 14 points over his last eight appearances. The scoring surge has made Aho Carolina's runaway points leader, with 16 goals and 24 assists through 40 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 2, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews produced a big performance on New Year's Day, totaling four points in a 6-5 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. He potted his 14th career hat trick and delivered one assist, helping Toronto win the game from a 4-1 deficit. Matthews passed Pat LaFontaine for the most hat tricks by a U.S.-born player in NHL history and now needs only two more tallies to break Mats Sundin's franchise record. Recently, Matthews has begun to regain form, tallying eight points (four goals, four assists) across his past three appearances. Yet, he still isn't averaging a point per game for the season, sitting on 18 goals and 13 assists after 34 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 2, 2026
Utah Mammoth winger Dylan Guenther started off 2026 with a bang, notching four points, including his first career hat trick, in a 7-2 road victory over the New York Islanders. The 22-year-old potted all his goals during even-strength play and tallied a power-play assist on Mikhail Sergachev's sixth goal of the season. Last term, Guenther took a big step forward with a 60-point campaign, and he's on course for another career year in 2025-26. The 22-year-old leads Utah with 20 goals and is in a three-way tie for the team scoring lead with 36 points. Over his last four appearances, Guenther has averaged two points per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 2, 2026
Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (undisclosed) tallied his team's fifth goal in Thursday's 7-5 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes but left the game early due to injury. Anderson lit the lamp near the end of the second period and didn't come out for the third. The 33-year-old bagged his ninth goal of the campaign on Thursday night. He has also had four assists, while featuring in all 40 games up to this point. Montreal has used Anderson on the third line. If Anderson is forced to miss his first game of the season on Saturday against the St. Louis Blues, Owen Beck will likely be his replacement in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
January 2, 2026
New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (lower body) exited Thursday's 7-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth in the third period. He left the action with 12 minutes remaining in regulation. Horvat struggled to put weight on his left leg as he limped down the tunnel. The Islanders' top scorer was injured a day after he was named on Team Canada for the 2026 Olympics. In 36 outings, Horvat has managed 21 goals and 33 points this campaign. The Islanders are expected to provide an update on him either Friday or Saturday. Simon Holmstrom or Calum Ritchie may get an opportunity in the top six if Horvat misses time. Meanwhile, his injury could also impact Team Canada.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 2, 2026
New York Rangers center Noah Laba (upper body) is considered week-to-week. The rookie sustained an upper-body injury during Wednesday's matchup against the Washington Capitals and won't be available for the first few games of 2026. Laba has notched 12 points (five goals, seven assists) across his first 42 career games in 2025-25. The timing of his injury is very unfortunate, as the 22-year-old was hurt just before the 2026 Winter Classic against the Florida Panthers. New York has also lost Conor Sheary (lower body) from its third line ahead of the game. Brett Berard, Anton Blidh, and Justin Dowling are the candidates to fill the gaps in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 2, 2026
New York Rangers left wing Conor Sheary (lower body) was placed on long-term Injured Reserve. He must now sit out at least 10 games, including Friday's Winter Classic against the Florida Panthers. Sheary sustained a lower-body injury in Wednesday's loss to the Washington Capitals. Through 37 appearances, Sheary has contributed one goal and eight assists this season. He was part of the third line on Wednesday, along with Noah Laba (upper body), who was also injured. To bolster the frontline depth, the Rangers called up Brett Berard, Anton Blidh, and Justin Dowling from the AHL, while reassigning Brennan Othmann to the minors.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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