February 3, 2026
Minnesota Wild defenseman Daemon Hunt (upper body) was limited to three shifts and 1:52 of ice time in Monday's 4-3 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens. He took a high stick to the neck from Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov. Fortunately, Hunt appears to have avoided a serious injury. According to Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News, Wild head coach John Hynes expects Hunt to be fine. Minnesota has one more game scheduled before the Olympic break, facing the Nashville Predators on Wednesday. Hunt has recently impressed on the Wild defense, covering for injured veterans Jonas Brodin (lower body) and Zach Bogosian (lower body). The latter was able to return from a 13-game absence on Monday, bumping David Jiricek from the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Dylan Loucks
February 3, 2026
Buffalo Sabres left wing Zach Benson (upper body) couldn't finish Monday's win over the Florida Panthers, leaving him questionable for Tuesday's tilt versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. "(He's) just being evaluated," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said postgame. "Couldn't finish the game. We'll see where he's at tomorrow." Benson scored Buffalo's third goal of the night. He appeared to have injured his left shoulder after crashing into the boards when he was tripped during a breakaway. Benson has accompanied Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch on the first line, while averaging 2:14 of power-play time. Josh Doan may move up in the lineup if Benson can't play on Tuesday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 3, 2026
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (upper body) played only a handful of minutes in Monday's 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. He suffered an upper-body injury, and there was no update on Bennett after the game. The Panthers were already without Brad Marchand (undisclosed) and Anton Lundell (upper body) on Monday night. With the team lacking quality options up front, Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues, Matthew Tkachuk, and Carter Verhaeghe all played heavy minutes in Monday's loss. While Brad Marchand (undisclosed) and Anton Lundell (upper body) could be available for Wednesday's game against Boston, it's unclear whether Bennett can play.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
February 2, 2026
Florida Panthers forwards Brad Marchand (undisclosed) and Anton Lundell (upper body) won't play on Monday against the Buffalo Sabres. Marchand will be out for a second consecutive game, while Lundell's absence will extend to three games. The two could return later this week when Florida has a back-to-back set against Boston and Tampa Bay. The injuries have benefited Eetu Luostarinen and Evan Rodrigues, who have moved to the first line. Both players also skate on the second power-play unit, giving them additional fantasy appeal.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 2, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly (upper body) will not be available for the final two games before the Olympic break. After sustaining an upper-body injury in Saturday's win over the Vancouver Canucks, Rielly will exit the lineup for Monday's meeting with the Calgary Flames. Rielly has been a busy man for the Maple Leafs, recording 31 points (seven goals, 24 assists), 106 shots, and 74 blocks in 54 appearances. He is second on the team in average ice time with 21:33 per game. Simon Benoit will enter the lineup on Monday, but won't offer anywhere near the same level of fantasy production. Jake McCabe will move into Rielly's spot on the first defensive pairing.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
February 2, 2026
New York Islanders winger Jonathan Drouin (illness) will return to the lineup for Monday's tilt against the Washington Capitals. He missed Saturday's loss to Nashville due to illness. Drouin hasn't scored any points in nine appearances and will have new linemates on Monday. He is set to work as the second-line center, flanked by Simon Holmstrom and Emil Heineman. Mathew Barzal will join Bo Horvat and Ondrej Palat on the top line. In addition to his point drought, Drouin hasn't scored a goal since Nov. 14. He has been limited to 20 points (three goals, 17 assists) in 48 games this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 2, 2026
Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (upper body) will miss two more games, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports. The Capitals expect to have him back on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. Thompson was placed on Injured Reserve on Monday, retroactive to Jan. 28. Charlie Lindgren (lower body) is also on Injured Reserve and won't return until after the Olympic break, leaving Clay Stevenson and Garin Bjorklund as the team's options in net for its upcoming back-to-back. Stevenson will make a second consecutive start on Monday against the New York Islanders after his winning performance in Saturday's season debut versus Carolina.
--Taavi PailkSource: Tom Gulitti
February 2, 2026
Washington Capitals defenseman Matt Roy (lower body) has been cleared to return from a three-game absence on Monday against the New York Islanders, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports. The team has activated Roy from Injured Reserve ahead of the contest. Roy ranks second on his team with 106 blocks and is looking to post a fifth consecutive 20-point season. In 53 appearances, Roy has managed one goal and 13 assists. Washington's defense will also get Martin Fehervary (personal) back into the lineup after he missed Saturday's win over Carolina for the birth of his daughter.
--Taavi PailkSource: Tom Gulitti
February 2, 2026
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (upper body) will return from a 13-game absence on Monday night against the Detroit Red Wings. He has been cleared to play after recovering from an upper-body injury. Toews will link up with his regular partner, Cale Makar, on the first defensive pairing. Sam Malinski will move to the third pairing. Toews offers defensive balance next to Makar, but occasionally also chips in on offense. He has tallied one goal and 12 assists in 40 outings. Additionally, Toews has blocked 58 shots and carries a plus-26 rating.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 2, 2026
Colorado Avalanche right wing Martin Necas (lower body) will miss a second consecutive game on Monday against the Detroit Red Wings. He was absent from the lineup for the first time this season on Saturday against Detroit and will miss at least one more game due to a lower-body injury. The team hopes to have Necas available for Wednesday's tilt against the San Jose Sharks. With Necas out, Valeri Nichushkin moved to the top line on Saturday, recording one assist in a 5-0 win. On Monday, Nichushkin has a chance to post a season-high with a five-game point streak.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 2, 2026
St. Louis Blues winger Jake Neighbours (upper body) will return to action on Monday against the Nashville Predators. He missed Saturday's loss to Columbus due to an upper-body injury. Neighbours is expected to join the second power-play unit and will skate with Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou during even-strength play. It's been a tough season for Neighbours, as health issues have limited him to 42 appearances. He leads the Blues with 13 goals and has tallied 22 points. Although Neighbours scored in his most recent outing, he has finished 12 of his last 17 games without a point, making him an unreliable fantasy option.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 2, 2026
Boston Bruins forward Morgan Geekie notched three points in Sunday's 6-5 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2026 Stadium Series. With Geekie on fire and producing two goals and one assist, Boston jumped 5-1 ahead at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Raymond James Stadium, but Marcos Strum's team got careless with the big lead. After slumping for most of January, Geekie has regained his scoring touch, putting together a seven-game point streak. He has finished goalless only twice during this run. In 55 outings this season, Geekie has tallied 53 points (32 goals, 21 assists), leaving him only five points away from eclipsing his career-best scoring total set last season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 2, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov missed tying the NHL record for most points in an outdoor game by just a single point on Sunday in a Stadium Series contest, recording one goal and three assists in a 6-5 shootout victory over Boston. Kucherov was feeling it all game, firing eight shots on goal. While he only got one puck past Jeremy Swayman in the Bruins' net, it was a vital goal in the third period, which extended the game. Two of Kucherov's assists came on the power play, helping the Lightning erase a 5-1 deficit. Kucherov has been producing silly numbers in recent weeks, finishing 15 of 18 outings with multiple points. This stretch includes six games with at least three points. As a result, the Russian star has started to sneak into Art Ross Trophy contention as the NHL's leading scorer. He has totaled 86 points (28 goals, 58 assists) in 49 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 2, 2026
Anaheim Ducks left wing Chris Kreider lit the lamp twice as his team beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on Sunday. The veteran forward produced the first two goals of the contest, logging his sixth multi-point outing of the campaign. Kreider had a challenging time in December, finishing the month with only four points. He boosted his production to six points in January, and his improvement in form appears set to continue in February. Kreider has cemented a spot in the top six and skates with the first power-play unit. He has recorded 19 goals and 30 points in 49 games across the season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 2, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi had a below-par outing on Sunday against the Los Angeles Kings but still ended up on the winning side, making history in a 3-2 overtime victory. Bussi, who finished with a .846 save percentage after saving 11 of 13 shots, improved to 21-3-1 to become the goalie with the most wins through their 25 career games in NHL history. It has been a special campaign for the Sound Beach, New York native after he started the year as the third option between the sticks. Bussi has allowed 2.21 goals while logging a .906 save percentage and one shutout. In his next appearance, Bussi will be aiming for his sixth consecutive win.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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