April 4, 2026
Washington Capitals winger Aliaksei Protas (upper body) will rejoin the lineup on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. He has sat out a pair of games due to an upper-body injury. Protas will be reunited with Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin on Washington's top line. The Belarusian forward has been a versatile contributor on offense, recording 23 goals and 24 assists in 70 games. That said, Protas' recent form hasn't been good, as he has finished four consecutive appearances without a point for only the third time this season. Washington's front line will also have Ethen Frank back on Saturday after he missed some time due to a lower-body injury.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 4, 2026
Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (undisclosed) will miss Saturday's matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights and is looking at a multi-game absence. According to Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, Hyman could miss up to two weeks. However, Knoblauch added that if this were a playoff game, Hyman would be out there, which suggests he isn't dealing with a serious injury. The veteran forward is third on his team with 31 goals and has accumulated 51 points in 57 games. With Hyman out, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is set to join the first line on Saturday night, while Jason Dickinson will take over the second-line center duties.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 4, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson (upper body) had surgery on Thursday and will miss the rest of the season. He suffered an upper-body injury on a hit from Montreal Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc on March 26. This is an unfortunate blow for Severson and his team. He had a good campaign in 2025-26, finishing with 32 points (eight goals, 24 assists), 93 SOG, 86 blocks, and a plus-18 rating in 71 games. Denton Mateychuk has taken on a much larger role since Severon landed on the shelf, while Jake Christiansen has become a regular in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 3, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Daniel Vladar made 21 saves and allowed just one goal in a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Friday. Only Jean-Gabriel Pageau was able to beat him with a wrist shot late in the second period. Vladar is putting up the best stats of his career this year with a 24-13-7 record, 2.47 goals against, and a .905 save percentage.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
April 3, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers right winger Matvei Michkov scored one goal and collected two assists as the Flyers defeated the New York Islanders 4-1 in a key divisional matchup on Friday. His goal came in the second period and gave Philadelphia a 3-0 lead, which they had no problem holding on to. The second-year winger has scored 20 fewer points this year than last year, but he still has decent numbers with 17 goals, 43 points, and 67 penalty minutes.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
April 3, 2026
Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane once again rewrote the history books with a three-point effort in Thursday's 4-2 road win over the Philadelphia Flyers, becoming the NHL's all-time leading scorer among American players. The former MVP scored Detroit's game-winning goal and contributed two assists, including one on the power play. Earlier this season, Kane surpassed Mike Modano as the top-scoring U.S.-born player. Now, he's also ahead of Brett Hull on the all-time scoring list. Hull was born in Canada but represented the United States. Kane has scored 1,393 points (506 goals, 887 assists) in 1,362 career games. On Thursday night, he reached the 50-point mark for this season, boasting 14 goals and 36 assists through 60 outings. Kane has turned back the clock recently, tallying two goals and six assists during a four-game point streak.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 3, 2026
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Elias Salomonsson is in concussion protocol, head coach Scott Arniel told reporters after Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Dallas Stars. Salomonsson was on the ice for two of the Stars' goals but left the action midway through the second period. The 21-year-old couldn't complete the game after a hit from Stars forward Jason Robertson. Winnipeg will likely be without Salomonsson for Saturday's trip to Columbus. Salomonsson, a second-round draft pick from 2022, has made his first 32 NHL appearances this season. He has registered five points (one goal, four assists), 37 SOG, 27 blocks, and 50 hits. Jacob Bryson and Ville Heinola are the options to replace him in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
April 3, 2026
Chicago Blackhawks left wing Nick Lardis injured his left hand late in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, Jack Bushman of Chicago Hockey Now reports. Teammate Teuvo Teravainen hit him on the hand with a shot. Lardis netted Chicago's lone goal of the game five minutes into the third frame. The 20-year-old rookie has totaled 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in 35 games this season. He has lit the lamp four times in his last seven appearances, but it's unclear whether he will get a chance to maintain his form on Saturday against Seattle. If he's healthy enough to play, Andrew Mangiapane (upper body) might be an option to fill in for Lardis. The veteran has been out for a couple of weeks but is traveling with the team.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jack Bushman
April 3, 2026
Utah Mammoth forward Jack McBain (lower body) left Thursday's 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken in the second period, Catherine Bogart of the Mammoth's official site reports. His night at the office ended after he had logged exactly nine minutes of ice time. McBain has been Utah's ironman, not missing a single game this season, so he must be desperate to avoid his first absence on Saturday night against Vancouver. The 26-year-old is fourth in the NHL with 271 hits and has tallied 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 75 games. Utah carries Liam O'Brien as an extra forward, and he could suit up for the first time in two months on Saturday.
--Taavi PailkSource: Catherine Bogart
April 3, 2026
Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven (upper body) played only a couple of minutes in Thursday's win over the Buffalo Sabres. He took a puck to the head/neck area early in the first period. Kleven's role has recently increased at the back for Ottawa, as the blue line has been stretched incredibly thin. While Jake Sanderson (upper body) appears to be nearing his return, the Senators are still set to finish the campaign with a makeshift backline. Due to injuries, Jordan Spence's fantasy stock has received a major boost. On Thursday, he extended his point streak to four games with an assist while logging 30:48 of ice time.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
April 3, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (lower body) made an early exit against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night. The Swedish veteran saw only 7:03 of ice time and was ruled out for the rest of the game after the second period. Ekman-Larsson has totaled 38 points (eight goals, 30 assists) in 73 games this season, but he has cooled off noticeably since the Olympics. In his last 15 appearances, Ekman-Larsson has finished scoreless 12 times. Troy Stecher, who was a healthy scratch on Thursday, could get an opportunity to rejoin the lineup this weekend if Ekman-Larsson is forced to miss additional time.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
April 3, 2026
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Justin Faulk suffered a lower-body injury on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers, Max Smith of Detroit Hockey Now reports. He left the game during the second period, finishing with 10:49 of ice time. The veteran blue-liner had his 12th outing with the Red Wings. Since moving to Motor City, he has recorded three points (one goal, two assists), 15 SOG, 23 blocks, and 17 hits. The severity of Faulk's injury is unclear, but he should be considered questionable for Saturday's meeting with the New York Rangers. Travis Hamonic could get back into the lineup for the first time since Feb. 4, but he doesn't have fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: Max Smith
April 2, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli scored three goals in a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night. He had one goal in each period, with one being a short-handed goal and one being an empty-netter. Cirelli has had a solid campaign with 23 goals, 52 points, and a plus-35 rating in just 67 games played.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
April 2, 2026
Ottawa Senators defenseman Carter Yakemchuk (concussion) won't play on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres, Andrew Wilimek of the Senators' official site reports. The 20-year-old had a dream debut in the NHL a week ago against Detroit with a goal and an assist, but he is forced to miss time after landing in concussion protocol. Yakemchuk was hurt in his fourth career game on Tuesday night against Florida. The Senators have recalled Cameron Crotty from the minors to fill the void in the lineup. Crotty will make his team debut and only his third NHL appearance against Buffalo. At the same time, Jordan Spence and Tyler Kleven will get all the minutes they can handle on defense, including power-play time. This makes both players worth a look in fantasy.
--Taavi PailkSource: Andrew Wilimek
April 2, 2026
New Jersey Devils winger Arseni Gritsyuk (upper body) will undergo season-ending surgery. He suffered an upper-body injury in late March and will sit out a fifth consecutive game on Thursday against the Washington Capitals. Gritsyuk had a decent first year in the NHL, producing 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 66 games. Having turned only 25 in March, he has plenty of time to develop as a player and could be part of New Jersey's core for years to come. Evgenii Dadonov has taken Gritsyuk's spot in the league, but he doesn't provide any fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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