March 14, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nicholas Paul (lower body) will return from an 11-game absence on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes. He hasn't played since a Stadium Series matchup against Boston at the start of February and will be eased back into action in a bottom-six role. Paul has contributed six goals and six assists in 34 appearances in 2025-26. To create room for the veteran on the roster, the Lightning reassigned Conor Geekie to the minors. The team will also welcome back defenseman Erik Cernak (undisclosed) against Carolina.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 14, 2026
Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield (illness) will return to action on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks. The young forward has been battling an illness this week, but his absence will be limited to one game. Caufield has had a huge year, already matching his career high with 37 goals and adding 27 assists in 63 games. He needs just seven more points to set his new scoring record for a single season. In Saturday's matchup, Caufield will be reunited with Juraj Slafkovsky and Nick Suzuki on the first line. He will also reclaim his spot on the first power-play unit. Alexandre Texier will move down to the fourth line, while Brendan Gallagher will sit out the game as a healthy scratch.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 14, 2026
Buffalo Sabres right wing Alex Tuch (lower body) is expected to rejoin the lineup on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was unavailable on Thursday against Pittsburgh due to a lower-body injury. Tuch was on fire before exiting the lineup earlier this week, recording points in seven consecutive outings. He's the second-highest scoring forward on his team, sitting on 28 goals and 57 points in 64 games. The Maple Leafs know all about Tuch's quality, as the 29-year-old has tallied two goals and one assist in three games against them this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 14, 2026
Minnesota Wild right wing Bobby Brink (upper body) won't play on Saturday against the New York Rangers, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports. He will be sidelined for a second consecutive game due to an upper-body injury. Brink's next chance to return will come on Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. While Robby Fabbri filled in for Brink on the third line in Thursday's matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers, Nico Strum will jump into the lineup against the Rangers. Strum has managed only 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 41 outings this season and doesn't have much fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: Dylan Loucks
March 14, 2026
New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller (upper body) has been cleared to return to the lineup on Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports. The Rangers captain has sat out five games due to an upper-body injury. After a disappointing start to the season, Miller was enjoying fine form before his injury, notching 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 18 games. He has totaled 14 goals and 24 assists in 51 outings across the season. On Saturday, Miller will be part of the first power-play unit and skate on the second line alongside Vincent Trocheck and Will Cuylle.
--Taavi PailkSource: Mollie Walker
March 14, 2026
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas was handed a five-game suspension for a knee-on-knee hit on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (knee) during Thursday's 6-4 loss. Matthews sustained a season-ending injury from the hit. Gudas, who received his fifth career suspension, will exit the lineup on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators and won't be eligible to return until Anaheim's matchup with the Vancouver Canucks on March 24. The 35-year-old veteran has made 52 appearances this season, recording 13 points (two goals, 11 assists), 60 shots, 82 blocks, and 156 hits. John Carlson (lower body) is expected to make his Ducks debut this weekend and could take Gudas' spot in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 14, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (knee) will miss the rest of the 2025-26 season, the team announced Friday. The Maple Leafs captain was injured on Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks and has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 MCL tear and a bruised quadriceps muscle. Toronto will re-evaluate him in two weeks. Matthews finishes his 10th NHL campaign with 53 points (27 goals, 26 assists) in 60 games. It's his first season without averaging at least a point per game since his rookie year in 2016-17. John Tavares will take over the top-line center job for the rest of the season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 13, 2026
New York Islanders left winger Emil Heineman had two goals on Friday night, but it wasn't enough as his club lost a close 3-2 game versus the Los Angeles Kings. The first goal was a tip-in in the second period, and the next one came on a deflected shot in the third period. The Swedish second-year forward has had some solid production playing alongside Bo Horvat on the first line this year.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
March 13, 2026
St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer made 37 saves and earned the 3-2 victory versus the Oilers in overtime on Friday night. This was a very impressive performance against one of the league's best offenses, especially since Edmonton took 39 shots in the contest. Hofer has solid numbers in his third full season in the NHL with a 2.67 goals against average and a .907 save percentage to go along with his 16-11-4 record.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
March 13, 2026
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon factored in four goals during Thursday's 5-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. After being tossed from Tuesday's loss to Edmonton, MacKinnon responded with one goal and three assists. He already had three points before the first intermission, tying Alex Ovechkin for the fourth most three-point periods among active players. This was the 24th time MacKinnon had as many as three points in a single period. The Avalanche superstar is in a battle for the Art Ross and Rocket Richard Trophies. He has netted a league-high 44 goals in 63 appearances and is second in scoring with 108 points, just two behind Edmonton's Connor McDavid. MacKinnon has finished seven of his last 11 outings with multiple points.
--Taavi PailkSource: Hockey Reference
March 13, 2026
New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere continued his scoring tear with a goal and an assist in Thursday's 6-3 road victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Lafreniere scored New York's second goal and assisted Gabriel Perreault on the game-winning tally. After the Olympic break, Lafreniere has received increased opportunities, and he has responded with six goals and five assists in his last six games. He has lit the lamp in three consecutive contests, taking his season total to 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 65 games. In his current form, Lafreniere could be a decisive factor for many fantasy teams on their way to glory.
--Taavi PailkSource: Hockey Reference
March 13, 2026
New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (knee) has been ruled out for the rest of the season, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports. The 37-year-old Russian hasn't seen any action since undergoing knee surgery in December 2024. Varlamov has one more year left on a contract, which carries a $2.75 million cap hit. He has posted a 76-63-21 record with the Islanders and ranks 49th all-time with 289 career wins. Time will tell whether Varlamov will get an opportunity to add to his total in New York or elsewhere. With Varlamov unavailable, David Rittich has gone 13-9-3 as Ilya Sorokin's backup this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: Stefen Rosner
March 13, 2026
New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov (shoulder) may be available for the team during the postseason, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports. Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said Romanov could be back for the start of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Russian rearguard has been out since mid-November due to shoulder surgery. Before injuring his right shoulder, Romanov recorded one assist, 17 shots, 31 blocks, and 31 hits in 15 appearances. His physical presence could be a real asset for the Islanders during the postseason. In the meantime, Matthew Schaefer, Ryan Pulock, and Adam Pelech will continue to lead the blue line.
--Taavi PailkSource: Stefen Rosner
March 13, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Declan Carlile (undisclosed) exited Thursday's win over the Detroit Red Wings in the third period, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports. With Erik Cernak (undisclosed), Max Crozier (abdomen), and Emil Lilleberg (face) out of action, Carlile was in the lineup for a second consecutive game, but he might now also miss time after suffering an undisclosed injury. Carlile has made 38 appearances this season, mainly contributing on the defensive end. He has recorded three points (one goal, two assists), 29 shots, 30 blocks, 46 hits, and a plus-five rating. Steven Santini will step in for Carlile if needed on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
--Taavi PailkSource: Benjamin Pierce
March 13, 2026
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser (upper body) may have to miss some time again after being hurt in Thursday's overtime win against the Utah Mammoth. Kaiser, who recently missed four games due to a lower-body injury, suffered an upper-body injury on Thursday when he was involved in a collision with Mammoth forward Michael Carcone late in the third period. The 23-year-old has tallied 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 61 games this season, adding 60 shots, 53 blocks, and 37 hits. If Kaiser isn't available on Saturday night against Vegas, Ethan Del Mastro will get a chance to make his fifth appearance of the season. In his few outings, Del Mastro hasn't tallied any points but has racked up defensive stats.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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