January 23, 2026
Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton (lower body) will miss Friday's clash against the Philadelphia Flyers. He sustained a lower-body injury during Wednesday's loss to the Anaheim Ducks and is considered day-to-day. Friday's game will mark Colton's first absence of the season. He has tallied 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 48 contests. Joel Kiviranta (lower body) is ready to return from a 10-game absence and will fill in for Colton on Friday. The Finnish forward is having a disappointing season and shouldn't draw fantasy interest. Colton's first chance to return will be on Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 23, 2026
Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil (upper body) will return to the lineup on Friday against the New Jersey Devils. He has been cleared to play after missing three months due to an upper-body injury. Chytil had three goals in six games at the start of the season before being hurt against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 19. The 26-year-old will slot into the second line, joining Drew O'Connor and Brock Boeser. Chytil will also hop on the second power-play unit. Earlier this week, the Canucks welcomed back another long-term absentee in Teddy Blueger, and their center depth is expected to get another boost soon with Marco Rossi's (lower body) return.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 23, 2026
Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish (upper body) will miss a second straight game on Friday against the Seattle Kraken. Due to an upper-body injury, McTavish was a late scratch on Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche. Unfortunately, he will be out for another game on Friday night and is likely to miss more time after traveling back to Anaheim while the team continues its five-game road trip. However, Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville is optimistic that McTavish can return to action at some point during the trip. With Leo Carlsson (thigh) also out, the Ducks are currently without their top two centers. Mikael Granlund and Jansen Harkins are expected to center the scoring lines against Seattle.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 23, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (upper body) will make his long-awaited comeback in Friday's matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. He hasn't played since Nov. 11, missing over two months due to an upper-body injury. In 13 outings, Stolarz has posted a 6-5-1 record this season. He hasn't been anywhere near his best form, allowing 3.51 goals with a .884 save percentage. To make a winning return, Stolarz must contain the NHL's sixth-best offense on Friday night. Vegas has an outstanding power play, helping the team average 3.33 goals per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 23, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (lower body) will be in action on Friday against the Vegas Golden Knights. Initially, it was uncertain whether Ekman-Larsson would be available after he exited Wednesday's loss to Detroit early due to a lower-body injury. The Swedish veteran was in danger of missing his first game of the season. Ekman-Larsson has recorded 31 points (eight goals, 23 assists), 72 shots, 41 blocks, and 62 hits in 50 appearances. He's already surpassed his offensive output from last season and is on pace to record a second 50-point year in his career.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 23, 2026
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes set up three goals, including Kirill Kaprizov's game-winner, in Thursday's 4-3 overtime victory against the Detroit Red Wings. The star blue-liner also helped Kaprizov net a power-play goal in the first period and assisted Mats Zuccarello early in the third frame. Amazingly, despite this being only his 20th appearance for the team, Hughes already matched a franchise record for the most three-assist games in a single season. It was his fourth hat trick of assists with the Wild. Overall, Hughes has posted 24 points (two goals, 22 assists) in 20 games since moving to Minnesota. He has finished six of his outings with multiple points, including three of the last four.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 23, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Anthony Mantha scored two goals in Thursday's 6-2 road win over the Edmonton Oilers. He provided the goals in the span of 22 seconds early in the first period. Sidney Crosby quickly added another one, giving Pittsburgh three goals inside 37 seconds against the team's former goalie, Tristan Jarry. These were Mantha's first goals since the turn of the year. He has struggled in front of the net after wrapping up 2025 with a three-game goal streak. Still, it has been a good campaign for Mantha, who sits on 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) through 50 appearances. Should he maintain his current scoring rate, the 31-year-old would get to celebrate a new career high at the end of the season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 23, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves recorded his first shutout of the season in Thursday's tough matchup against the Dallas Stars, finishing a 1-0 victory with 28 saves. Zach Werenski did the business at the other end. Greaves has become a solid option for fantasy managers as the season has progressed. Currently, he is on an 8-4-1 run over his last 13 starts. The 24-year-old has allowed two or fewer goals six times over that span. For the season, Greaves holds a 15-12-6 record, with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 23, 2026
Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak notched a goal and two assists in Thursday's 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. With the Czechia star leading the charge, the Bruins jumped to a 4-0 lead. Pastrnak had two power-play assists, and his even-strength goal ended up being the game-winning marker. Boston improved to 9-2-0 over its last 11 games. During that stretch, Pastnark has been on another level, posting 22 points (six goals, 16 assists). He has become one of only six players in the league this season with at least 20 goals and 40 assists. In 46 appearances, Pastrnak has racked up 63 points (21 goals, 42 assists).
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 23, 2026
Calgary Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau (lower body) is expected to rejoin the lineup on Friday against the Washington Capitals. Due to a lower-body injury, he didn't play in Wednesday's loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Huberdeau has had a frustrating start to 2026, going eight games without a point. Overall, he has bagged 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 44 appearances. Matvei Gridin has had a quiet spell in the top six and could come out of the lineup on Friday to accommodate Huberdeau's return.
--Taavi PailkSource: Reuters
January 23, 2026
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper (upper body) returned to practice on Thursday and will be an option for Saturday's matchup against the St. Louis Blues. Kuemper left Tuesday's win over the New York Rangers early due to an upper-body injury. He was unable to continue after a collision with Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski. "Yeah, kind of got hit on the side of my neck, and it pinched my neck and pinched the nerves, and my arm went dead," Kuemper said. "So, yeah, wasn't allowed to come back in until we did some further testing yesterday." Kuemper, who is on Team Canada's roster for the Olympics, has shown outstanding form throughout 2025-26, allowing 2.52 goals with a .904 save percentage and two shutouts. However, because of the Kings' inconsistent offense, Kuemper has won only about a third of his starts, going 12-9-9.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 23, 2026
Buffalo Sabres left wing Zach Benson (upper body) was injured in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times reports. With a couple of minutes left to play, Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc hit Benson in the head with his elbow. Benson registered the game-winning goal in the contest, ending a three-game point drought. While scoring hasn't been easy for Benson in recent games, he is enjoying a career year. The 20-year-old has notched 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) across 37 outings. Buffalo also lost defenseman Jacob Bryson (upper body) to injury on Thursday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: Bill Hoppe
January 22, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (upper body) is questionable for Thursday's tilt against the Edmonton Oilers. He is dealing with an upper-body injury and missed Wednesday's win over the Calgary Flames after being a game-time decision. Jack St. Ivany came into the lineup and impressed with two assists in a 4-1 win. Ryan Shea, who took Letang's spot on the first power-play unit, made an impact as well with one assist. Brett Kulak also saw power-play time, while Parker Wotherspoon led the blue line in ice time with 22:14. The entire defensive unit must step up again on Thursday night if Letang remains out. Pittsburgh's defense has also recently operated without Erik Karlsson (lower body), who missed a fifth consecutive game on Wednesday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 22, 2026
Chicago Blackhawks forwards Frank Nazar (face) and Andre Burakovsky (illness) will hop back into the lineup on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Nazar has missed 14 games after taking a puck to the face, while Burakovsky wasn't available for Monday's win over the Winnipeg Jets due to illness. During the morning skate, Nazar worked as the second-line center, and Burakovsky joined Ryan Greene and Connor Bedard on the first line. The duo will also strengthen Chicago's power-play units. Nazar has managed 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 33 appearances this season. Burakovsky is Chicago's third-highest scorer, with 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) in 43 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 22, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Mason Marchment (upper body) was activated from Injured Reserve and is set to rejoin the lineup on Thursday against the Dallas Stars. Marchment hasn't played for eight games due to an upper-body injury. He is projected to have a top-line role against Dallas, skating with Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko. Marchment is also on track to join the first power-play unit. The 30-year-old, who was acquired from Seattle on Dec. 19, has been a perfect fit in Columbus. He has recorded five goals and two assists in seven outings with his new team.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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