February 4, 2026
Colorado Avalanche right wing Martin Necas (lower body) will miss Wednesday's matchup with the San Jose Sharks. He's been dealing with a lower-body injury and won't be in the lineup for a third consecutive game. Necas is still expected to play for Czechia at the 2026 Olympics. With Gabriel Landeskog (upper body) also on the shelf, Ross Colton and Victor Olofsson will continue to see top-six usage. Both players are also part of the second power-play unit. Additionally, Necas' departure from the lineup has boosted Valeri Nichushkin's fantasy stock, as he has replaced him on the first line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 4, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Kirill Marchenko (illness) is a game-time decision for Wednesday's contest against the Chicago Blackhawks, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reports. The Russian forward has been feeling under the weather and didn't play in Tuesday's win over New Jersey. He appears on track to return against Chicago after skating on Wednesday morning. Only defensive standout Zach Werenski has scored more points on the Blue Jackets roster this season, with Marchenko contributing 19 goals and 27 assists in 50 outings. If he's cleared to play, Columbus will scratch Danton Heinen or Isac Lundestrom for the contest. The latter filled in for Marchenko on the first line against New Jersey but had a quiet outing.
--Taavi PailkSource: Brian Hedger
February 4, 2026
Florida Panthers centers Sam Bennett (upper body) and Anton Lundell (upper body) are expected to play on Wednesday versus the Boston Bruins. This is a welcome boost for Florida's frontline, with Brad Marchand (lower body) still unavailable. Lundell has been out for three games, while Bennett exited Monday's loss to Buffalo early due to an upper-body injury. The two will operate as Florida's top-two centers. While Bennett has been playing well lately, notching 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 16 appearances since the turn of the year, Lundell had been quiet. He boasts only five points (two goals, three assists) in 2026 and has finished scoreless in four of his last five appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 4, 2026
The New Jersey Devils acquired center Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday in exchange for minor-league forward Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional 2026 fourth-round draft pick. Bjugstad is moving on from St. Louis only a few months after signing a two-year, $3.5 million contract with the team as a free agent. He appeared in 35 games for the Blues, recording seven points (six goals, one assist) and 73 hits. Adding Bjugstad gives New Jersey more muscle and some additional depth at center. He will remain a bottom-six piece with his new squad.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
Winger Artemi Panarin was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday and signed a two-year, $22 million contract extension. In the transaction, the New York Rangers received prospect forward Liam Greentree, a conditional third-round pick in 2026, and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2028. The Rangers are retaining 50 percent of Panarin's 2025-25 salary, giving the Kings a $5.8 million cap hit. Panarin was linked to several Eastern Conference teams, but sources told ESPN that the Russian star wanted to play in L.A. Picking up Panarin should give the Kings' offense a much-needed boost; only five teams have averaged fewer goals this season. Panarin is only a couple of years removed from a huge 120-point campaign. This season, he has notched 57 points (19 goals, 38 assists) in 52 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal tallied three points (one goal, two assists) in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. All of Barzal's points came after the second intermission. He first tied the score at three, then set up goals by Ryan Pulock and Bo Horvat as the Islanders turned the game on its head. Barzal has been hot throughout 2026, earning him a spot on the top line alongside Horvat. The 28-year-old has scored in five of his last six outings and has earned 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) over a 16-game stretch. It's been an impressive comeback season for Barzal, who missed a large chunk of 2024-25 due to a knee injury. He leads the Islanders in scoring, posting 50 points (16 goals, 34 assists) in 56 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho left his fingerprints all over Tuesday's matchup against the Ottawa Senators, finishing a 4-3 victory with a goal and two assists. Aho scored late in the first period and helped Seth Jarvis grab a pair of goals in the second, including a power-play marker. The 28-year-old became the fourth Finnish player in NHL history to score at least 20 goals in 10 consecutive seasons. He has added 37 assists in 56 outings. Aho will attempt to post his first four-game goal streak since 2022-23 when the Hurricanes face the New York Rangers on Thursday in their final game before the Olympic break.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh scored in his fifth consecutive game and added an assist as his team defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in overtime on Tuesday night. Raddysh was a late hero, scoring with 26 seconds left in regulation to extend the game. He became only the sixth blue-liner in the past 25 years to record a five-game goal streak. Raddysh is third among defensemen with 17 goals and sixth with 51 points in 48 games. His productivity hasn't dipped since Victor Hedman's return, which is an encouraging sign for managers hoping Raddysh can keep his hot form going until the fantasy playoffs.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov made scoring look easy once again on Tuesday night, totaling four points (one goal, three assists) in a 4-3 overtime victory against the Buffalo Sabres. The Russian superstar recorded his second consecutive four-point game. He now has 39 such efforts, the fourth most among players born and trained outside North America. Kucherov has bagged an incredible 39 points (11 goals, 28 assists) since the start of January, making him a contender for his third straight Art Ross Trophy. He is now just five points behind leading scorer Connor McDavid. Across 50 outings, Kucherov has managed 90 points (29 goals, 61 assists).
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny celebrated his 700th career game with two assists in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals. He managed to keep his multi-point streak alive in the final minutes. Konecny had his first helper when Jamie Drysdale scored a power-play goal with 5:23 left in regulation, and Rasmus Ristolainen's empty-net goal 17 seconds from the end gave Konecny his fourth consecutive multi-point game. The 28-year-old has been red-hot lately and will probably be disappointed that there's going to be an international break soon. Konecny has racked up 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in his past nine outings. He has taken over the scoring lead among the Flyers, boasting 54 points (22 goals, 32 assists) in 54 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins recorded his first shutout of the season on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils, backstopping his team to a 3-0 road win with 24 saves. The Latvian netminder now has 12 shutouts with the Blue Jackets, placing him behind only Sergei Bobrovsky (33) and Steve Mason (19). After riding the hot hand of Jet Greaves for a while, Columbus has also received strong goaltending from Merzlikins lately. Following Tuesday's win, he boasts a 5-1-0 record over his last six starts. With two in-form goalies, the Blue Jackets are well-positioned to earn a playoff spot. Greaves is set to start in the final pre-Olympic break matchup against Chicago on Wednesday.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 4, 2026
Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil missed Tuesday's practice due to migraines and is unlikely to play on Wednesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Czech forward, who has made only 12 appearances this season, is unfortunately dealing with health issues again. Chytil couldn't finish Monday's matchup against Utah after he "tweaked something." Winger Conor Garland (illness) also missed Tuesday's practice but is expected to be in the lineup against Vegas. Jake DeBrusk is set to fill Chytil's spot on the second line, while Drew O'Connor will be promoted to the first line.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
February 3, 2026
Chicago Blackhawks forward Nick Foligno (undisclosed) is traveling with the team and is expected to play on Wednesday against his former team, the Columbus Blue Jackets. An undisclosed health issue has kept Foligno sidelined for two games. After being a regular 30-point scorer, Foligno is unlikely to even hit the 20-point mark in 2025-26. He has been limited to 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 32 outings. These days, his main assets are leadership and physicality, as Foligno averages 2.5 hits per game. Landon Slaggert will depart the lineup on Wednesday if Foligno is ready to play.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 3, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro (lower body) is on track to rejoin the lineup on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. He has missed six games due to a lower-body injury. Fabbro's return will push Egor Zemula out of the lineup. After impressing in Columbus last season, Fabbro's production has declined in 2025-26, making him redundant for fantasy teams. In 48 appearances, Fabbro has registered seven points (three goals, four assists), 48 shots, 81 blocks, 42 hits, and a team-worst minus-13 rating.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 3, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Kirill Marchenko (illness) won't play against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. He missed Monday's practice due to illness and will need more time to recover. With Marchenko out, the Blue Jackets must manage without their top-scoring forward. The 25-year-old has tallied 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 50 games. Isac Lundestrom will move to the top line on Tuesday, while Kent Johnson is set to log time on the first power-play unit. Sean Monahan (illness), who left early on Saturday against the St. Louis Blues, is feeling better and is expected to play.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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