April 1, 2026
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (upper body) will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season, Jack Bushman of Chicago Hockey Now reports. He suffered an upper-body injury in March and has sat out five games. The early end of Grzelcky's campaign means that he will finish the season without scoring a single goal. After a career-high 40 points (one goal, 39 assists) in Pittsburgh last season, Grzelcyk's offensive contributions were limited to 11 assists in 69 games this term. Chicago has lost Artyom Levshunov (hand) until the end of the season, giving Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro opportunities to play.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jack Bushman
April 1, 2026
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov (hand) won't return to action this season, Jack Bushman of Chicago Hockey Now reports. The 20-year-old rookie sustained a fractured hand last week and has already sat out two games. Levshunov will wrap up the campaign with 24 points (two goals, 22 assists), 84 SOG, 75 blocks, 98 hits, and a minus-41 rating in 68 games. The No. 2 pick of the 2024 draft clearly has to improve his even-strength play to boost his fantasy stock. He is expected to be a big part of the Blackhawks' future.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jack Bushman
April 1, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Mathieu Olivier (upper body) won't be available for a couple of weeks, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports. He suffered an upper-body injury on Sunday against Boston and might be done for the rest of the regular season. The Blue Jackets will wrap up their schedule on April 14. Olivier averages 3.4 hits per game and has notched 26 points (15 goals, 11 assists) in 61 games. Kent Johnson slotted into the lineup as his replacement in Tuesday's loss to Carolina and might now play regularly until Olivier returns. However, Johnson's productivity has nosedived this season and won't be much help to fantasy teams.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jeff Svoboda
April 1, 2026
Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues (finger) will have season-ending surgery, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports. The 32-year-old broke a finger last week, and it was reported that he was expected to miss the rest of the campaign. With him now scheduled for surgery, Rodrigues' absence for the remainder of the season is confirmed. He will finish the year with 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 69 games. Florida has also lost Sam Reinhart (foot), Brad Marchand (lower body), Anton Lundell (ribs), and Jonah Gadjovich (upper body) until the end of the season, so the team's offense will look very different in the final few games.
--Taavi PailkSource: George Richards
April 1, 2026
Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart (foot) will be out for the rest of the season, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports. Sidelined since mid-March with a foot injury, there's little incentive for the team to bring Reinhart back with the playoffs out of reach. The 30-year-old will finish the campaign with 29 goals and 61 points in 64 games. With Reinhart out of the picture, players like Mackie Samoskevich and A.J. Greer are poised to have bigger roles for the rest of the way.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jameson Olive
April 1, 2026
Ottawa Senators defenseman Carter Yakemchuk (upper body) didn't finish Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. He joined a growing list of injuries on the Senators' defense after taking a high hit from Panthers forward Noah Gregor in the third period. Gregor received a match penalty for the incident. Ottawa's defense was already missing Jake Sanderson (upper body), Thomas Chabot (forearm), Nick Jensen (knee), and Dennis Gilbert (upper body) on Tuesday. As a result of these absences, Yakemchuk has seen time on the top power-play unit. If Yakemchuk misses additional time, Senators head coach Travis Green will face yet another round of adjustments on an already depleted blue line.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
April 1, 2026
Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (hand) may be out for the rest of the campaign after being hurt in Tuesday's win over the Ottawa Senators. The veteran rearguard injured his hand in the third period while blocking a shot. According to George Richards of Florida Hockey Now, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said postgame that Eklad's injury "doesn't look good." Dmitry Kulikov (face) and Donovan Sebrango (undisclosed) were also hurt on Tuesday. Due to injuries, Florida is already using a patched-up front line late in the season, and now the team could also be without several regulars on defense.
--Taavi PailkSource: George Richards
March 31, 2026
New York Islanders right wing Simon Holmstrom (upper body) won't be available on Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres and is considered day-to-day, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports. Holmstrom is one point shy of having his second straight 40-point season. He has tallied 19 goals and 20 assists across 73 outings. As a result of Holmstrom's absence, Mathew Barzal will move back to the first power-play unit. Anthony Duclair will take his spot in the lineup. Things haven't gone well for Duclair in 2025-26, and he isn't a good fantasy option. Barzal's move to the top power-play unit might also have only a limited impact on his fantasy value, as Buffalo is one of the NHL's best penalty-killing teams.
--Taavi PailkSource: Andrew Gross
March 31, 2026
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier (upper body) will exit the lineup for Tuesday's meeting with the Tampa Bay Lightning and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. Montreal may be without him for the rest of the regular season after Carrier sustained an upper-body injury. Carrier has played well on both ends of the ice, amassing 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists), 56 SOG, and 155 blocks in 73 games. Adam Engstrom joined the big club on Monday and could be Carrier's replacement for Tuesday's game. The 22-year-old Swedish native has made 11 appearances in the NHL and is still looking for his first points.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
March 31, 2026
Boston Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei (upper body) will miss a second consecutive game on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars. He took part in the morning skate but isn't yet ready to return from an upper-body injury. Lohrei has appeared in 68 games this season, registering 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists), 68 shots, and 85 blocks. Henri Jokiharju took Lohrei's spot on defense against Columbus on Sunday. The Finnish blue-liner had a fairly uneventful evening against the Blue Jackets, but he has shown some offensive ability with 11 assists in 38 games this campaign.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 31, 2026
Dallas Stars defenseman Tyler Myers (undisclosed) won't play on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins, Owen Newkirk of DLLS Sports reports. The veteran blue-liner will exit the lineup after making 11 appearances with the Stars since his move from Vancouver. He hasn't scored with 12 SOG but boasts two assists. Additionally, Myers has recorded 15 blocks and hits. Ilya Lyubushkin will fill the void on the blue line. The Russian rearguard plays similarly to Myers and shouldn't be expected to make offensive contributions. Myers' first opportunity to return will come on Thursday when the Stars host the Winnipeg Jets.
--Taavi PailkSource: Owen Newkirk
March 31, 2026
Dallas Stars left wing Michael Bunting (lower body) won't suit up on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins, Owen Newkirk of DLLS Sports reports. He suffered a lower-body injury in Sunday's loss to Philadelphia and could miss several games. Dallas' forwards have been dropping like flies lately, leading to Cameron Hughes getting a chance to make his team debut on Tuesday. The 29-year-old hasn't appeared in the NHL since 2020-21. Hughes has been a prolific player in the minors, averaging over a point per game this season, but he will enter the lineup on the fourth line and isn't expected to make a significant impact.
--Taavi PailkSource: Owen Newkirk
March 31, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (illness) is a game-time decision for Tuesday's clash against the Montreal Canadiens. Tampa's star man has missed two games due to illness, but appears ready to return after participating in the morning skate. However, he hasn't been officially cleared to return. Kucherov has been extraordinary in 2026, recording 70 points (22 goals, 48 assists) in 32 games. Edmonton's Connor McDavid has been the second-highest scorer this calendar year with 54 points. Gage Goncalves will have a bigger role if Kucherov suffers a setback and doesn't return on Tuesday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 31, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin (upper body) is available to return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings, Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official site reports. The veteran star has missed four games due to an upper-body injury. Malkin should reclaim a top-six spot and work on the first power-play unit. Following a couple of underwhelming campaigns, Malkin has been a point-per-game player in 2025-26, amassing 15 goals and 37 assists in 50 appearances. However, he has gone back-to-back games without a point against the Red Wings.
--Taavi PailkSource: Michelle Crechiolo
March 31, 2026
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (personal) will return to action on Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators. Bennett became a father over the weekend and has sat out two games. He is expected to take over as the first-line center on Tuesday night. It's been a disappointing campaign for Florida, but Bennett has enjoyed a career year. In 70 games, he has posted 25 goals and 54 points. Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk will join Bennett on the first line against Ottawa.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
RADIO
