January 8, 2026
New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere (illness) missed Wednesday's practice and may not be available for Thursday's tilt against the Buffalo Sabres. After bagging four points (one goal, three assists) in the first two games of 2026, Lafreniere could be sidelined by an illness. In December, Lafreniere had points in only four of 15 appearances, but he has shown encouraging signs of improvement early this month. Luckily for the Rangers, J.T. Miller (upper body) is on the cusp of returning and could take Lafreniere's spot in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 8, 2026
New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller (upper body) is on track to return to action on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. An upper-body injury knocked the Rangers captain out of the lineup before the holiday break, leading to a seven-game absence. At the start of the week, Miller was cleared for contact and now appears ready for game action. This season, Miller has lacked his usual sharpness, going for only 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 35 games. He has made it to the score sheet just 16 times throughout the campaign.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 8, 2026
Edmonton Oilers center Adam Henrique (undisclosed) was placed on Injured Reserve and is not expected to be healthy until after the Olympic break. The 35-year-old veteran was injured during Tuesday's win over the Nashville Predators. In 43 outings, Henrique has posted 10 points (two goals, eight assists) while winning 54.8 percent of his faceoffs. The Oilers need a new third-line center with him on the shelf. Trent Frederic and Andrew Mangiapane were scratched against Nashville on Tuesday and will be the main candidates to fill Henrique's spot in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
January 7, 2026
St. Louis Blues left wing Nathan Walker (upper body) will return from a 16-game absence on Wednesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. He will team up with Alexey Toropchenko and Oskar Sundqvist on the fourth line. Walker was in the midst of a solid offensive stretch when he got hurt at the start of December. The 31-year-old has notched nine points (three goals, six assists) in 25 appearances this season, while averaging 3.8 hits per game. Mathieu Joseph will be in the press box on Wednesday to accommodate Walker's return.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 7, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rutger McGroarty (concussion) will be out indefinitely after being hurt at Tuesday's practice. The 21-year-old was involved in a collision with a teammate and has been diagnosed with a concussion. The Penguins placed McGroarty on Injured Reserve. McGroarty entered the lineup in December and has posted three points (two goals, one assist) in 16 appearances. At the beginning of the campaign, he missed time due to an upper-body injury. Evgeni Malkin (upper body) has resumed full practice and could grab McGroarty's spot in the lineup on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 7, 2026
Utah Mammoth center Kevin Stenlund (undisclosed) is a game-time decision for Wednesday's matchup with the Ottawa Senators, Brogan Houston of the Deseret News reports. The Swedish veteran wasn't on the ice Wednesday morning and could miss his first game of the season. Stenlund has tallied 10 points (three goals, seven assists), 38 shots, 31 blocks, and 25 hits in 43 games as a bottom-six forward for Utah. If Stenlund isn't available against Ottawa, Kailer Yamamoto is expected to make his first appearance of 2026. Yamamoto has not provided much fantasy value this season, settling for nine points (four goals, five assists) in 26 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: Brogan Houston
January 7, 2026
San Jose Sharks center Ty Dellandrea (lower body) will miss Wednesday's contest against the Los Angeles Kings, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports. The 25-year-old sustained a lower-body injury in Tuesday's loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Dellandrea ranks second on the Sharks squad with 117 hits and has recorded 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 42 appearances. He has filled third-line center duties while also playing a vital role on the penalty kill. Patrick Giles is expected to take Dellandrea's place in the lineup on Wednesday, with Zack Ostapchuk moving up to the third line.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sheng Peng
January 7, 2026
Dallas Stars left wing Adam Erne (undisclosed) won't be available on Wednesday against the Washington Capitals. He was injured during Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Erne has made 18 appearances this season, recording four points (three goals, one assist) and 59 hits. Dallas will fill the gap in the lineup with Nathan Bastian on Wednesday night. Bastian has posted similar numbers to Erne, scoring three goals and delivering 48 hits in 20 outings. This will be only his fourth NHL outing since December.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 7, 2026
Washington Capitals forwards Tom Wilson (lower body) and Aliaksei Protas (lower body) have been ruled out for Wednesday's tilt against the Dallas Stars. Wilson will skip a second straight game, while Protas won't be available for a third consecutive contest. With two top-six pieces out, Washington's young talent stepped up on Monday night against the Anaheim Ducks. Justin Sourdif matched the Capitals' rookie record with five points (three goals, two assists), and Connor McMichael had four assists in a 7-4 win. Both will continue to have additional fantasy until the frontline gets healthier.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 7, 2026
Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (lower body) won't play on Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks. The Kings captain was injured in Monday's win over the Minnesota Wild and is considered day-to-day. On Wednesday, the Kings will also be without Joel Armia (upper body), Trevor Moore (illness), and Corey Perry (personal), giving the frontline an entirely different look. Andre Lee and Taylor Ward were recalled from the AHL to bolster the attack. Ward, who has scored seven goals in his last eight appearances, is expected to have a first-line role on Wednesday, while the Kings plan to use Alex Laferriere as their top-line center. At the same time, Jeff Malott will jump from the fourth line to the second.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 7, 2026
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (upper body) is expected to miss a minimum of two weeks. He was unavailable for a second straight game on Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Samuel Girard has replaced Toews on the first defensive pairing, with Ilya Solovyov slotting into the lineup on the third pairing. While Girard has yet to make a significant fantasy impact despite an expanded role, Solovyov produced an assist in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay. It was his first point in 11 appearances this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
January 7, 2026
Colorado Avalanche winger Gabriel Landeskog (upper body) will be sidelined for several weeks. "He's going to miss some weeks," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said on Tuesday. "I don't know exactly how long [he'll be out]; we'll have a better idea when we get back. We'll see how he's feeling, but he's going to miss some time." Landeskog suffered an upper-body injury on Sunday in a collision with the goalpost in a matchup against the Florida Panthers. In Landeskog's absence, Artturi Lehkonen was promoted to the top line in Tuesday's loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, while Victor Olofsson shifted up to the second line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 7, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale (undisclosed) was injured during Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The 23-year-old was limited to 5:56 of ice time, exiting the contest after absorbing a big open-ice hit from Ducks forward Ross Johnston, who was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for interference. Drysdale is having a nice bounce-back campaign in 2025-26, with 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) and 41 blocks in 41 outings. He needs only three more points to surpass his scoring total from last season. If Drysdale misses time, Noah Juulsen will likely be used as his replacement in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Philadelphia Flyers
January 7, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers right wing Bobby Brink (upper body) had a very brief night at the office on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks, leaving the game after his first shift. He suffered an upper-body injury on a hit. Brink has notched 11 goals and 20 points in 41 appearances this season. His spot in the lineup could be filled by Matvei Michkov (foot), who missed Tuesday's 5-2 win after being a game-time call. If the Russian forward needs more time to recover from his foot injury, Nicolas Deslauriers is another option to step into the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Philadelphia Flyers
January 7, 2026
Edmonton Oilers center Adam Henrique (undisclosed) is expected to miss time after sustaining an injury during Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Nashville Predators, Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Journal reports. The veteran logged only 2:26 of ice time in the contest before leaving with an undisclosed injury. After the game, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Henrique might be out "a little while." Working as Edmonton's third-line center, Henrique has contributed two goals and eight assists in 43 games this season. Trent Frederic and Andrew Mangiapane, both healthy scratches on Tuesday, are candidates to fill Henrique's spot in the lineup on Thursday versus the Winnipeg Jets.
--Taavi PailkSource: Robert Tychkowski
RADIO
