March 18, 2026
Washington Capitals defenseman Cole Hutson played in his first career game on Wednesday night and scored an empty-netter in a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. The younger brother of Canadiens superstar Lane Hutson is also a highly regarded prospect who was a second-round pick in the 2024 draft. He had 10 goals and 32 points in 35 games in college for Boston University and now joins the NHL after their season ended.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
March 18, 2026
Los Angeles Kings right wing Adrian Kempe (lower body) could be an option for Thursday's matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports. The Kings' leading scorer remains day-to-day, but interim head coach D.J. Smith is hopeful that Kempe can play on Thursday night. He was a late scratch on Monday against the New York Rangers. If Kempe can't make it back on Thursday, he looks almost certain to return for this weekend's back-to-back. Mathieu Joseph filled in for Kempe on the top line against the Rangers and will be bumped down in the lineup when the Swedish winger returns.
--Taavi PailkSource: Zach Dooley
March 18, 2026
Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish will remain out of the lineup as a healthy scratch on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. After recovering from an upper-body injury, Troy Terry replaced McTavish in the lineup on Sunday against Montreal. Anaheim is expected to roll out with the same forward group on Wednesday night. Before departing the lineup, McTavish went scoreless in five consecutive games. He has struggled to stay effective during the second half of the season, recording zero goals and two assists in his last 12 appearances. Overall, McTavish has managed 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists) in 61 games this term.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 18, 2026
Anaheim Ducks left wing Ross Johnston (lower body) will be out for approximately 3-4 weeks, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports. He has already been sidelined for three games due to a lower-body injury. Primarily known as an enforcer for the Ducks, Johnston has also elevated his offensive game to new heights this season, registering three goals and 11 assists in 62 games. Previously, he had never managed more than seven points during a single campaign. This season, Johnston has also racked up a career-high 192 hits with 107 penalty minutes.
--Taavi PailkSource: Derek Lee
March 18, 2026
St. Louis Blues winger Jonathan Drouin will return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames. He exited the lineup for personal reasons last week and has missed the last three games. Drouin is expected to join Dalibor Dvorsky and Otto Stenberg on the third line. Stenberg is also a fresh face in the lineup, with Jonatan Berggren and Oskar Sundqvist making way. Since being acquired from the New York Islanders, Drouin has appeared in two games for the Blues, scoring one goal on two shots. This marks one of only two points he has earned in his last 18 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 18, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes left wing Eric Robinson will be back in the lineup on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports. The 30-year-old was scratched for Tuesday's matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Robinson is on a seven-game scoring slump and has gone pointless in 13 of his last 15 appearances. While he's never been a prolific scorer, Robinson made an impact earlier in the season. He has notched 11 goals and six assists in 53 outings. Robinson will join William Carrier and Mark Jankowski on the fourth line, bumping Nicolas Deslauriers to the press box.
--Taavi PailkSource: Ryan Henkel
March 18, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (lower body) will miss a sixth consecutive game on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports. The veteran rearguard has been progressing, but this game comes too soon for him to be ready to play. His next chance to return will be a matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday. Alexander Nikishin will continue to work on the first power-play unit on Wednesday, giving him additional fantasy value. The Russian blue-liner has posted two goals and two assists in five games during Gostisbehere's absence.
--Taavi PailkSource: Ryan Henkel
March 18, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (lower body) will rejoin the lineup for Wednesday's Metropolitan Division tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Penguins captain has missed 11 games due to a lower-body injury sustained during the Olympic tournament. Crosby will join Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust on the first line and will skate on the first power-play unit. The team will scratch Ville Koivunen to make room for Crosby in the lineup. Even with the time lost to injury, Crosby still leads his team with 27 goals and 59 points in 56 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 18, 2026
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen recorded a 28-save shutout in Tuesday's 2-0 road win against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Finnish netminder played a key role in a tight contest, which featured a late first-period goal and an empty-netter inside the final minute of play. Buffalo established a new franchise record with an 11-game road point streak. Luukkonen, who picked up his first shutout of the season, appears to enjoy traveling, as he has won six consecutive road starts. Overall, he boasts a 16-8-2 record, a 2.60 goals-against average, and a .909 save percentage. Luukkonen has been splitting starts with Alex Lyon for several weeks, so he will likely skip Thursday's matchup with San Jose and return to work on Saturday against L.A.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 18, 2026
Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser finished Tuesday's 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers with three assists. The Canucks made a hot start in front of their home crowd, with Boeser already celebrating a hat trick of assists after the first period. Two of his helpers came on the power play. Boeser has had a tough year, and he has only now reached his second three-game point streak of the season. The 29-year-old has managed one goal and five assists during the run, giving him 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists) in 60 games for the season. Boeser's hot streak will face a major test in the next matchup, as Vancouver gets ready to host the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have the league's fourth-best defensive record.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 18, 2026
Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber stood out as a playmaker in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks, recording three assists. He had a pair of helpers in the first period, including a power-play assist, and added a third one to his tally in overtime when Mats Zuccarello finished the game. Faber was also actively chasing a goal, ending with five shots on net. His defensive efforts included three hits. In his previous four outings, Faber had managed only one point, so he will be relieved to be back on track. The defensive talent will now look to start a point streak on Thursday in a rematch with the Blackhawks. Across 69 games this season, Faber has totaled 46 points (14 goals, 32 assists) and sits just two away from setting a new career-high.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 18, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Charlie Coyle played the leading role in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, scoring the game-winning goal and delivering three assists. He matched his career high with the four-point effort. Two points, including his goal, came on the power play. This was already Coyle's third four-point game of the season, which ties a single-season franchise record. He's been an excellent fit for the Blue Jackets, and Coyle might reach his new scoring record at 34 years old. The veteran is currently five points shy of tying his all-time best, with 55 points (17 goals, 38 assists) in 67 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 18, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov was unstoppable on Tuesday night against the Seattle Kraken, scoring a hat trick and adding two assists in a 6-2 road win. Playing alongside him on the top line, Brandon Hagel finished with four points (one goal, three assists), and Anthony Cirelli had three points (one goal, two assists). This was Kucherov's second five-point effort of the season and the ninth of his career. Jari Kurri (16) and Peter Stastny (12) are the only players born outside North America to record more five-point games in NHL history. At the same time, Kucherov became only the seventh player to post four straight 110-point seasons. The former MVP has totaled 111 points (37 goals, 74 assists) in 62 appearances as he continues to chase his third consecutive Art Ross Trophy.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 18, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte (upper body) will be re-evaluated in four weeks, the team announced. He was unavailable for Monday's matchup with Colorado, and it looks like Lizotte will miss the rest of the regular season. Lizotte has played well in a bottom-six role for the Penguins, recording 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists), 49 shots, 35 blocks, 49 hits, and a plus-six rating in 55 appearances. After recovering from an upper-body injury, Justin Brazeau took Lizotte's spot in the lineup on Monday.
--Taavi PailkSource: Pittsburgh Penguins PR
March 18, 2026
Ottawa Senators defenseman Nick Jensen (knee) will be sidelined for six weeks due to meniscus surgery, Post Media's Bruce Garrioch reports. The 10-year veteran has been out for two games, and unfortunately, he might not get a chance to return to the ice this campaign. His six-week recovery timeline means that the regular season is certainly over for Jensen. He finishes his second year as a Senator with 17 points (four goals, 13 assists), 36 shots, 66 blocks, 38 hits, and a minus-two rating in 61 games. Dennis Gilbert has played instead of Jensen in recent games, but he may be bumped out of the lineup when Jake Sanderson (upper body) returns. Sanderson is expected to resume skating next week.
--Taavi PailkSource: Bruce Garrioch
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