March 17, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson (upper body) is a game-time decision for Tuesday's meeting with the Carolina Hurricanes, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports. The veteran rearguard missed three games last week due to an upper-body injury, but he has a chance to return on Tuesday night. Egor Zamula will likely make way for Gudbranson if he's ready for action. Although Gudbranson isn't a major offensive contributor for the Blue Jackets, he brings a wealth of experience and is a big presence on defense. The 34-year-old has recorded three points (one goal, two assists), 19 shots, 29 blocks, 27 hits, and a plus-six rating across 21 appearances in 2025-26.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jeff Svoboda
March 17, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (lower body) won't play on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site reports. Gostisbehere is "trending closer" but will be sidelined for a fifth consecutive game. He should also be considered questionable for Wednesday's matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. With Gostisbehere on the shelf, Alexander Nikishin has taken on more responsibilities, joining the first power-play unit. This situation has also benefited Mike Reilly, who has been a regular in the lineup after sitting out nearly two months as a healthy scratch.
--Taavi PailkSource: Walt Ruff
March 17, 2026
New York Islanders right wing Maxim Shabanov (lower body) is considered day-to-day after missing Monday's practice, Rachel Luscher of the Islanders' official site reports. Shabanov has seen very little action since February and might be unavailable for Tuesday's tilt against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 25-year-old rookie has tallied 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 42 games with the Islanders this season. 10 of his points were scored before the holiday break, so bringing in Shabanov from the KHL, where he was one of the league's top scorers, hasn't proven successful for the Islanders.
--Taavi PailkSource: Rachel Luscher
March 17, 2026
Los Angeles Kings right wing Adrian Kempe (lower body) is considered day-to-day, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports. He was a late scratch on Monday against the New York Rangers due to a lower-body injury. Impressively, the Kings still recorded a comfortable 4-1 road win without their top scorer. Alex Laferriere led the charge with a goal and two assists, while Kings head coach D.J. Smith picked out Mathieu Joseph for praise. The Kings are now off until Thursday, giving Kempe extra recovery time. In a close playoff race, the team needs him back as soon as possible. Kempe has 26 goals and 58 points through 66 appearances this season, while no other player has managed 20 goals or more than 40 points with the team.
--Taavi PailkSource: Zach Dooley
March 16, 2026
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid finished Sunday's 3-1 win against the Nashville Predators with three assists. Early in the game, McDavid helped Leon Draisaitl net a power-play goal, assisted Matt Savoie at even strength in the second period, and completed his hat trick of assists when Zach Hyman iced the game with an empty-net goal. The Oilers captain recorded his 61st career three-assist game, tying Bryan Trottier for the ninth most in NHL history. Seven of those efforts from McDavid have come this season, keeping him on pace for a 137-point campaign. In 66 appearances, McDavid has notched 37 goals and 77 assists. He's finished with multiple points seven times in his last 10 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 16, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs center Bo Groulx bagged two goals, including the game-winning tally, in Sunday's 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Playing in only his fourth game of the season, the French forward popped up with a pair of goals within a six-minute span early in the second period. Groulx now boasts three goals in four games since making his Maple Leafs debut on March 10. Before getting the call from the big club, Groulx tallied 27 goals and 50 points in 54 AHL appearances. He clearly has some offensive talent, but it's unlikely Groulx will keep up his production level in the NHL for long, especially with his role being limited to the third line.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 16, 2026
Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson netted two goals in Sunday's 7-4 victory over the San Jose Sharks, recording his seventh multi-goal outing of the campaign. Over the last 15 years, only Brady Tkachuk has had more multi-goal efforts in a single season with the Senators (nine in 2023-24). On Sunday, Batherson produced a power-play goal in the first period and recorded the game-winning tally during an even-strength situation in the third. He's trying to post his first 30-goal campaign and is now just three goals away. Meanwhile, Batherson only needs one more point to reach his fourth straight 60-point season. The 27-year-old is averaging over a point per game this month, so it shouldn't take long.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 16, 2026
Seattle Kraken left wing Bobby McMann contributed a power-play goal and an even-strength assist during Sunday's 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers, giving him five points in two games since making his team debut. He is the first player in franchise history to record multiple points in each of his first two games. McMann debuted for the Kraken with two goals and one assist on Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks. His production has gone through the roof, as McMann averaged only around 0.5 points per game during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 29-year-old is seeing top-line minutes and skates on the second power-play unit in Seattle.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 16, 2026
Montreal Canadiens Kirby Dach (upper body) couldn't finish Sunday's contest against the Anaheim Ducks after being injured on a high hit. Only minutes into the game, Dach was on the receiving end of a high hit from Ducks forward Jeffrey Viel, who wasn't penalized for the incident. Dach has registered 14 points (eight goals, six assists) and 43 hits in 32 appearances this season. He has missed a large part of the campaign due to a foot fracture. Zachary Bolduc, who exited the lineup on Sunday as a healthy scratch, is set to replace Dach if needed. Montreal will return to action on Tuesday in an Original Six matchup against the Boston Bruins.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 16, 2026
San Jose Sharks center Alexander Wennberg (upper body) doesn't have a return timeline, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports. The Swedish veteran sustained an upper-body injury in Saturday's win over Montreal and didn't play on Sunday night against Ottawa. Wennberg is having the second-best season of his 12-year NHL career, posting 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists) in 64 games. Philipp Kurashev took over as the third-line center on Sunday. Although Kurashev finished scoreless in a high-scoring 7-4 loss, he is quite productive when given the chance to play. The Swiss forward has landed on the score sheet in five of his last nine appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: Curtis Pashelka
March 16, 2026
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (undisclosed) logged only 3:12 of ice time in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators, exiting the action after the first period. The German superstar was injured early in the game and tried to return, but he couldn't finish the contest. "He didn't feel right. He went off, he got checked out, felt like he could play on it," Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said postgame. "The medical staff looked at him and they were comfortable with him trying it out. He went out and he just didn't feel quite right. The fact that the medical staff said it doesn't seem too bad and there's no immediate red flags, it tells me that it shouldn't be a really long injury." Luckily, Draisaitl appears to have avoided a serious injury, though he could still miss some action. Before exiting on Sunday, Draisaitl extended his point streak to nine games with a power-play goal.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 15, 2026
Anaheim Ducks right winger Troy Terry had a goal and two assists as the Ducks collected two big points in Montreal on Sunday. In his first game since Feb. 25, Terry made his impact felt with three points in just 14 minutes of ice time. The Ducks' first line had a huge game, with Terry, Leo Carlsson, and Chris Kreider all recording multi-point nights.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
March 15, 2026
Anahiem Ducks center Leo Carlsson scored two goals and had one assist in a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday. He was in a mini-slump with zero points in his last four games, but he broke out of it in a big way. The Swedish forward now has 23 goals and 32 assists in 55 games and is a key part of the Ducks' offense as they try to win the Pacific division.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
March 15, 2026
Montreal Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher will be back in action on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks, JF Chaumont of LNH.com reports. The veteran forward was a healthy scratch for Saturday's matchup with the San Jose Sharks. Gallagher will replace Zachary Bolduc in the lineup and skate with Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson. Across his last seven appearances, Gallagher has posted zero goals and one assist. He's scored 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 64 games this season, but the 33-year-old has only added 10 points since December.
--Taavi PailkSource: JF Chaumont
March 15, 2026
Florida Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov will start on Sunday night against the Seattle Kraken, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports. Sunday's game isn't part of a back-to-back, but Panthers head coach Paul Maurice will give his No. 2 a chance to impress. Tarasov has made 21 starts this season, posting a 9-10-2 record, a 2.82 goals-against average, and a .901 save percentage. He catches the Kraken at a good time, as they have gone just 1-4-0 across the last two games, and there could be a few heavy legs on the squad after Saturday's tilt against Vancouver.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jameson Olive
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