March 5, 2026
Utah Mammoth goaltender Vitek Vanecek stopped all 16 shots he faced in a 3-0 shutout win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. Vanecek was drawing just his 14th start of the season, but he turned in an elite performance and earned his second victory in a row. He did not face many shots, but he stopped all of them and helped the Mammoth earn a big two points in the standings. Utah plays a back-to-back on March 9 and 10, so he will most likely suit up in one of those games.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
March 5, 2026
Edmonton Oilers center Curtis Lazar (undisclosed) will miss up to four weeks, head coach Kris Knoblauch said Wednesday. Lazar sustained an undisclosed injury in Tuesday's overtime win against the Ottawa Senators. While Lazar has been limited to five points (three goals, two assists) in 38 games this season, he has won a very impressive 61.4 percent of his face-offs. The team placed Lazar on long-term Injured Reserve to make room on the roster for Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach, who were acquired in Wednesday's trade with the Chicago Blackhawks.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 5, 2026
The Colorado Avalanche have brought in defenseman Nick Blankenburg in a trade with the Nashville Predators, giving up a 2027 fifth-round pick in the deal. Blankenburg has quietly had a good campaign in Music City, registering 21 points (six goals, 15 assists), 59 shots, 51 blocks, and 47 hits in 49 appearances. The Predators received very good value for money, as Blankenburg is in the final season of a two-year, $1.55 million contract. While joining a Cup contender is a great move for Blankenburg, he faces much tougher competition for playing time in Colorado and might not see regular action.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 5, 2026
Winger Andrew Mangiapane was traded by the Edmonton Oilers to the Chicago Blackhawks. He was involved in a deal that sent forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach in the opposite direction. The Blackhawks also received a conditional 2027 first-round draft pick from the Oilers. Mangiapane was waived by the Oilers at the start of the week and apparently no longer had a future in Edmonton. He recorded only seven goals and 14 points in 52 games with the team. Chicago might give Mangiapane a chance to revive his career, but it's uncertain what kind of role he will have.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 5, 2026
The Edmonton Oilers picked up forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. In the transaction, the Oilers parted with forward Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional 2027 first-round draft pick. Chicago will retain 50 percent of Dickinson's $4.25 million cap hit. This is the second deal of the week between the two teams after the Oilers brought in defenseman Connor Murphy from Chicago on Monday. With the deal, Edmonton adds depth up front, with Dickinson being the bigger acquisition. The 30-year-old managed 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 47 appearances with the Blackhawks this season. Dach had nine points (three goals, six assists) in 53 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 5, 2026
The Dallas Stars have acquired defenseman Tyler Myers from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2027 draft and a fourth-round pick in 2029. As part of the deal, the Canucks are retaining 50 percent of Myers' $3 million cap hit. His contract will expire at the end of the next season. Myers brings veteran experience and a towering 6-foot-8 frame to the Stars' backline. Although Myers' average ice time is likely to decrease from the 20:13 per game he's played this season, his offensive numbers could improve with better talent around him. In 57 outings across the current campaign, Myers has recorded eight points (one goal, seven assists), 71 shots, 91 blocks, and 65 hits.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 5, 2026
Defenseman MacKenzie Weegar was traded by the Calgary Flames to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Olli Maatta, forward prospect Jonathan Castagna, and three second-round picks in the 2026 draft. Weegar played three and a half seasons in Calgary. He has recorded 21 points (three goals, 18 assists), 125 shots, 143 blocks, and 130 hits in 60 outings this term. Weegar also carries a league-worst minus-35 rating, but that should improve now that he joined a much more competitive squad. With better players around him, Weegar is also well-positioned to increase his offensive output over the final stretch of the season. Due to immigration issues, Weegar isn't expected to make his Mammoth debut until next week.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 4, 2026
Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitchell Marner scored once and picked up two assists in a 4-3 overtime victory versus the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. Marner assisted on Reilly Smith's goal in the first period, scored with 3:24 left in the third period to tie it up at three apiece, and then set up Tomas Hertl for the overtime winner to end it. Marner now has 62 points in 61 games and is having another point-per-game season.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
March 4, 2026
Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl had a big game on Wednesday night. First, he assisted on Mitchell Marner's game-tying goal late in the third period, and then he scored the power-play winner shortly after in a 4-3 overtime victory versus Detroit. Hertl now has 24 goals and 29 assists on the season, and he is fourth on the Golden Knights in points.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
March 4, 2026
New York Islanders winger Jonathan Drouin (lower body) is ready to return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Anaheim Ducks, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports. The 30-year-old was unavailable on Sunday against the Florida Panthers due to a lower-body injury. Drouin is expected to take Anthony Duclair's spot in the lineup. After enjoying a promising start to the campaign, Drouin has struggled for several months. 14 of his 20 points came in his first 17 appearances of the season, and he will enter Wednesday's contest with a 14-game point drought.
--Taavi PailkSource: Andrew Gross
March 4, 2026
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jake Walman (undisclosed) avoided serious injury on Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators, according to head coach Kris Knoblauch. Walman exited the game prior to the third period of a 5-4 overtime win. The team also lost center Curtis Lazar (undisclosed) on Tuesday, and he is expected to miss at least one week of action. After picking up Connor Murphy from Chicago earlier this week, the Oilers have a capable replacement ready for Walman if needed on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Health issues have limited Walman to 33 appearances this season. He has recorded 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists), 61 shots, and 53 blocks with a minus-nine rating.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
March 4, 2026
Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Johansson (upper body) didn't finish Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports. He exited the action with an apparent upper-body injury in the third period following a hit from Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh, who was given a two-minute interference penalty on the play. After the game, Wild head coach John Hynes said Johansson "looks pretty good right now." There's hope Johansson won't miss additional time. The Swedish veteran contributed an assist on Tuesday night and has amassed 39 points (13 goals, 26 assists) in 57 contests. Minnesota's schedule gives Johansson some added recovery time, with the next game not until Friday.
--Taavi PailkSource: Dylan Loucks
March 4, 2026
Nashville Predators left wing Cole Smith was traded to the Golden Knights from the Predators in exchange for defenseman prospect Christoffer Sedoff and a 2028 third-round pick. The deal happened during Nashville's matchup with Columbus on Tuesday night, and Smith was pulled from the game after logging only three seconds of ice time. Smith ranked second on the Predators with 119 hits in 42 games. Offensively, he contributed six goals and four assists with 51 shots on goal. Smith will be an asset for the Golden Knights' bottom six and penalty kill, but won't offer much to fantasy teams.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 4, 2026
The Minnesota Wild have acquired center Michael McCarron from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL draft. Minnesota hopes to improve its penalty killing and face-off success with McCarron. He will also add muscle to the lineup, having led the Predators with 165 hits this season. The 30-year-old, who is in the final season of a two-year, $1.8 million contract, has also recorded 12 points (five goals, seven assists), 86 shots, 60 blocks, and 73 penalty minutes across 59 appearances. McCarron doesn't hold much fantasy value, but he looks like a good addition to the Wild's bottom-six.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 4, 2026
Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly suffered an eye injury in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was hit in the eye area by a stick late in the third period and will be evaluated when the team returns home after Tuesday's road game. In a statement, the Predators announced they "expect that he is going to be OK." The team plans to provide an update on O'Reilly on Thursday. O'Reilly scored a 2-1 go-ahead goal for the Predators against Columbus and has had a great campaign. In 61 outings, he has tallied a team-high 59 points (22 goals, 37 assists).
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
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