January 16, 2026
Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson dominated against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, completing a 5-3 victory with a season-high five points. He scored his ninth career hat trick and had two assists, bagging two points on the power play. Thompson's monster night included his 200th career goal, which ended up as the game-winning marker. The Sabres have now won 15 of their last 17 games, and Thompson has been at the heart of the success. During that stretch, he has contributed 12 goals and 14 assists. Overall, Thompson has managed 49 points (25 goals, 24 assists) in 46 games this season, with just four players having scored more goals than him.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 16, 2026
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel finished Thursday's high-scoring 6-5 overtime victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs with four points. He had three assists during regulation, including one power-play helper, and completed his big night with the game-winning goal in overtime. Eichel recorded his sixth four-point game with the Golden Knights. Three of those have come this season as Eichel attempts to break the 100-point barrier for the first time in his career. Currently, the American star has 55 points (17 goals, 38 assists) across 39 appearances. He has been on a special run recently, amassing five goals and nine assists during a seven-game point streak.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 16, 2026
New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin took over the league lead with his fifth shutout of the season, keeping Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at bay with 35 saves in a 1-0 win on Thursday night. McDavid was riding a career-best 20-game point streak, while Leon Draisaitl had averaged two points per game over the last five contests. Yet, Sorokin made containing the star duo look easy on Thursday, becoming the sixth active netminder to record five shutouts in a single season at least three times. Three of Sorokin's five shutouts have come in his last nine starts. He has won three of four outings in January, improving to 15-11-2. The Russian shot-stopper has registered a 2.47 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 16, 2026
Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke (lower body) avoided a major injury on Thursday against the Seattle Kraken, Lauren Campbell of MassLive reports. Peeke was limited to 5:14 of action on Thursday due to a lower-body injury. However, he is expected to skate on Friday. "As of right now, I don't think it's going to be long-term," Bruins head coach Marco Sturm said. Peeke leads Boston with 92 blocks and averages over one hit per game. On the offensive end, he has contributed four goals and five assists in 48 outings. The Bruins have Vladislav Kolyachonok as an extra defenseman, and he will enter the lineup on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks if needed.
--Taavi PailkSource: Lauren Campbell
January 16, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (lower body) left Thursday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights after logging only 2:17 of ice time. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube told reporters after the game that Nylander aggravated a previous lower-body injury. The Swedish star recently missed six games due to a lower-body ailment. Thursday was his fourth game back in the lineup, and Nylander recorded a goal and an assist before his early exit. Unfortunately, it looks like he could now miss more time. Nylander paces the Maple Leafs with 48 points (17 goals, 31 assists) in 37 games. Matthew Knies, who started Thursday's contest on the third line, might move back into the top six if Nylander isn't available Saturday versus the Winnipeg Jets.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
January 16, 2026
Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton (upper body) is questionable for Friday's matchup against the Nashville Predators, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports. Colton has yet to miss a game this season, recording 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 45 outings. He has recently skated on the second line due to Gabriel Landeskog's (upper body) absence. If Colton is ruled out for Friday, Victor Olofsson or Gavin Brindley might get a chance in the top six. However, this is a tricky matchup for Colorado against a team that's lost only a handful of games since December.
--Taavi PailkSource: Evan Rawal
January 15, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson (illness) is ready to re-enter the lineup on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. He missed Tuesday's victory over the Calgary Flames due to illness. Severson is a solid top-four piece for Columbus and will skate with Ivan Provorov. Additionally, he will rejoin the second power-play unit. Severson has collected 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 45 appearances, with 59 shots, 48 blocks, and 31 hits. The Blue Jackets' defense will also welcome back Erik Gudbranson (hip) on Thursday night. He will join the third defensive pairing after missing nearly three months with a hip injury. Egor Zamula and Dysin Mayo will exit the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 15, 2026
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (lower body) was activated from Injured Reserve and is set to play on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Hill has been out since Oct. 20 due to a lower-body injury. He made five appearances before being hurt, going 1-0-2 with a 2.73 goals-against average and a .888 save percentage. Hill returns at a good time, as Carter Hart (lower body) recently departed the lineup and is considered week-to-week. On Thursday, Vegas moved Hart to Injured Reserve.
--Taavi PailkSource: Danny Webster
January 15, 2026
Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour (hand) was activated from Injured Reserve, Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio Network reports. Earlier in the day, Montour was labeled a game-time call for Thursday's tilt against the Boston Bruins, but his activation is a clear signal he is ready to play. Montour has missed nearly a month due to a hand injury. He has amassed 16 points (six goals, 10 assists), 68 shots, 35 blocks, and 34 hits in 27 outings this season. Cale Fleury will likely make way for Montour in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Mike Benton
January 15, 2026
Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body) will remain on the shelf for a third straight contest on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets. He skated on his own Thursday morning and remains day-to-day. Eriksson Ek is expected to travel with the team and could be an option on Saturday afternoon against the Buffalo Sabres. Danila Yurov will continue as the first-line center against the Jets, while Ryan Hartman has moved to the second line in Eriksson Ek's absence. Hartman has been on a bit of a heater lately, scoring in three of the last four games.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 15, 2026
Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin (lower body) is considered week-to-week and was moved to Injured Reserve on Thursday. The Swedish blue-liner is dealing with a lower-body issue and could miss the Olympics because of the injury. Brodin has recently improved his offensive production, reaching 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) for the season. Additionally, he has recorded 43 shots and 91 hits in 42 appearances, posting a plus-15 rating. While Minnesota added Carson Lambos to the roster on Thursday with a call-up from the minors, David Spacek is expected to take Brodin's spot in the lineup against the Winnipeg Jets. The 22-year-old will make his NHL debut after amassing 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 35 AHL appearances this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: Minnesota Wild
January 15, 2026
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (personal) won't play on Thursday night against the Utah Mammoth. He is currently out of the lineup for personal reasons, missing a second straight game. Heiskanen sits eighth among defensemen in scoring, producing 36 points (seven goals, 29 assists) in 46 appearances this season. Ilya Lyubushkin re-entered the lineup as Heiskanen's replacement on Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks. With Heiskanen out, Thomas Harley logged nearly four minutes of power-play time on Tuesday. Heiskanen's next opportunity to return will be on Sunday against the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 15, 2026
St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas (lower body) was moved to Injured Reserve on Thursday and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Thomas came out of the lineup earlier this week due to a lower-body injury. It's now uncertain whether he can return before the Olympic break. Thomas leads the Blues with 22 assists and 33 points, appearing in 42 games this season. Brayden Schenn has taken over top-line center duties, with Dalibor Dvorsky also seeing top-six action. Both players made a positive impact in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, as Dvorsky scored St. Louis' second goal and Schenn produced a power-play assist.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 15, 2026
Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (lower body) will remain out on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. Washington's leading scorer isn't ready to return to the lineup despite fully participating in Wednesday's practice. Wilson will be sidelined for a sixth consecutive game, with his next opportunity to return coming on Saturday against the Florida Panthers. Justin Sourdif (upper body) will miss a second straight game, giving Ethen Frank a chance to move into the top six. Frank has impressed recently with a three-game goal streak. He's in a great spot to make further damage on Thursday night, as San Jose has one of the weakest defenses in the league and allows an average of 31 shots on goal.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 15, 2026
Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun (illness) will return to action on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. He has been unavailable for a pair of games due to illness. Chychrun ranks second among defensemen with 15 goals and has managed 32 points in 45 games. Over his last six appearances, Chychrun has managed only two points. However, he finds himself in a fantastic fantasy matchup on Thursday, as San Jose gives up the third-most goals in the league (3.58 per game). Trevor van Riemsdyk will exit the lineup to accommodate Chychrun's return.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
RADIO
