February 7, 2026
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes is set to be one of the standout players at the 2026 Olympic tournament. The American blue-liner has been in great form recently, setting a new Wild record for the longest assist streak by a defenseman. Hughes has had at least one helper in 10 consecutive appearances. This has also made him the first defenseman in NHL history with an assist streak of at least 10 games in his first season with a franchise. Thanks to his impressive playmaking ability, Hughes is tied with Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov for the longest active point streak in the NHL. Overall, Hughes has tallied 31 assists and 34 points in 26 appearances with the Wild, averaging a massive 28:18 of ice time. He is also set to eat up a lot of ice time on Team USA's blue line, along with Columbus' Zach Werenski and Boston's Charlie McAvoy.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 7, 2026
Forward Juho Lammikko has rejoined the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League. The 30-year-old originally signed with the team in 2022 but returned to the NHL for the start of the 2025-26 campaign. Lammikko made 24 appearances with the New Jersey Devils before his contract was mutually terminated this week. He managed only two assists and failed to score with 15 shots on goal. Lammikko has previously also appeared in the NHL with the Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks. He has struggled to adjust to life in North America, posting 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) in 183 games. With him now 30, it's safe to assume Lammikko won't make another comeback attempt. Things have worked out much better for him in Switzerland, as Lammikko has won two championships with the Lions, scoring 60 goals and 131 points in 176 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: Swiss Hockey News
February 7, 2026
Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha (upper body) will miss the 2026 Olympics. Zacha was on the Czechia roster for the tournament but won't be able to play after sustaining an upper-body injury in late January. Former Ottawa Senators forward Filip Chlapik, who currently plays for HC Sparta Praha in the Czech Extraliga, will replace him on the team. Zacha missed a pair of games for the Bruins due to his injury, and it's unclear whether he will be healthy to play when the NHL season resumes. Boston will return to action on Feb. 26. Zacha has been a key contributor for the team, posting 15 goals and 37 points in 54 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 6, 2026
Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun recorded a game-high three points in Thursday's 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. He potted two goals, including a power-play marker to ice the game, and had one assist. This made Chychrun only the second defenseman in Capitals history with back-to-back 20-goal campaigns. He has lit the lamp 21 times, adding 25 assists in 57 contests. Chychrun leads all defensemen in goals scored and needs just two more points to set a new career high. Despite his fantastic form, Chychrun won't be part of Team Canada's roster at the Olympics, giving him three weeks to recharge for the most important part of the season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 6, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi had to make only 16 saves for his second shutout of the season in Thursday's 2-0 victory over the New York Rangers. Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov took care of the offense for the streaking Hurricanes, who are on a 10-game point streak. Bussi has been pivotal to the team's success, winning each of his last seven starts. He is now only the second goaltender in franchise history with multiple seven-game winning streaks in a single season. The 27-year-old has come out of nowhere to rank second in the NHL with a 2.16 goals-against average. Additionally, Bussi is tied for the third most wins among all goalies, carrying an outstanding 23-3-1 record with a .908 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 6, 2026
Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar reached a special milestone on Thursday, collecting his 1,300th career point in a 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Slovenian veteran became only the eighth player born outside North America to record 1,300 career points. He did so in his 1,495th career game with an assist. It was Kopitar's first point in four games since returning from a lower-body injury. He currently boasts 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 41 appearances for his final NHL campaign, a sharp decline from his usual production. With Slovenia not at the Olympics, Kopitar will get a few weeks to rest before the final stretch of the season, which could help improve his scoring form.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 6, 2026
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone had a dominant performance in Thursday's 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, posting one goal and two assists. The teams scored all five goals in the first period, and Stone finished with the game-winning marker. The Golden Knights captain became the first player in franchise history to register 100 multi-point games with the team. He's had 17 of them this season alone. The veteran star has been hot all year and will now look to make noise for Canada at the Olympics. Stone has tallied 60 points (21 goals, 39 assists) in 41 outings, averaging the sixth-most points in the league (1.46 per game).
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
February 6, 2026
Florida Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov (undisclosed) missed the end of Thursday's 6-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Russian netminder left the penalty-filled game with 6:09 played in the third period, right after the Lightning scored their fifth goal. It was a tough night for Tarasov, who allowed five goals on 25 shots. Sergei Bobrovsky, who started Wednesday's shootout win over Boston, stopped two shots in relief. Tarasov will be re-evaluated on Friday. Florida will return from the Olympic break with a back-to-back set on Feb. 26, and it will be important for the team to have Tarasov available. The 26-year-old holds an 8-8-2 record for the campaign and has allowed 2.83 goals with a .899 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 6, 2026
Los Angeles Kings winger Andrei Kuzmenko (upper body) left early in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Russian forward suffered an upper-body injury in the first period. He tried to give it a go in the second, but left the action after logging only 8:32 of ice time. 3:55 of Kuzmenko's playing time came on the power play. Due to the Olympic break, Kuzmenko will have several weeks to recover from his injury. The Kings won't return to action until they face Vegas in a rematch on Feb. 25. Kuzmenko has been disappointing with the Kings this season, settling for 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 51 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: Los Angeles Kings PR
February 6, 2026
Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (lower body) couldn't complete Thursday's 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. He collected a power-play assist in the first period but was limited to 7:03 of ice time due to a lower-body injury. Luckily for Carlson, the league is now on an Olympic break, giving him around three weeks to get healthy. The Capitals continue their season on Feb. 25 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Carlson was snubbed by Team USA for the Olympics despite a strong season. The 17-year-old veteran has recorded 46 points (10 goals, 36 assists), 115 shots, 84 blocks, and a plus-11 rating in 55 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: Washington Capitals PR
February 5, 2026
Florida Panthers forwards Brad Marchand (undisclosed) and Evan Rodrigues (illness) won't be in action on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Doug Plagens of the Florida Panthers Radio Network reports. Marchand will sit out the second leg of a back-to-back after making a surprise return from a two-game absence in Wednesday's win over Boston. Rodrigues will come out of the lineup for the first time this season. Florida also won't have defensemen Aaron Ekblad (undisclosed) and Tobias Bjornfot (undisclosed) on Thursday. Luke Kunin, Jesper Boqvist, Donovan Sebrango, and Mikulas Hovorka will enter the lineup, with the latter making his NHL debut.
--Taavi PailkSource: Doug Plagens
February 5, 2026
New York Islanders forward Calum Ritchie (lower body) will return from a six-game absence on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils. With Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal both on the first line, Ritchie will take over center duties on the second line. The Islanders are also expected to use him on the first power-play unit. Ritchie had a four-game assist streak last month and has amassed 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 40 outings this season. Anthony Duclair will make way for Ritchie in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 5, 2026
Buffalo Sabres left wing Zach Benson (upper body) will miss a second straight game on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Benson scored in Monday's 5-3 win over Florida but also sustained an upper-body injury. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff expects to have Benson back after the Olympic break. Josh Norris (upper body) is also on track to rejoin the lineup when the Sabres resume play on Feb. 24. He will miss his 12th consecutive game on Thursday. Jordan Greenway (abdomen) is also expected to remain out against Pittsburgh. As a result of the injuries up front, Peyton Krebs has joined the first line, giving his fantasy stock a massive boost.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 5, 2026
Washington Capitals forward Pierre-Luc Dubois (abdomen) will return to action on Thursday night against the Nashville Predators. He has been out of commission since Oct. 31, missing 47 games due to abdominal and adductor muscle surgery. Before landing on the shelf, Dubois had a slow start to the season, going scoreless in six games. He is set to center the second line and the second power-play unit on Thursday. Sonny Milano (personal) will come out of the lineup. Dubois may have struggled early this season, but fantasy managers should keep an eye on him, as he set a career high with 66 points only a year ago.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
February 5, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell (lower body) was injured during the morning skate and won't play on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. Penguins head coach Dan Muse labeled Rakell day-to-day, so it appears he'll be fine to play for Team Sweden in the Olympics. Rakell has been quiet lately, but he's been productive overall for the Penguins, recording 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 35 appearances. Rutger McGroarty will replace Rakell on the first line. The Penguins also won't have Blake Lizotte (personal) on Thursday, while Noel Acciari (illness) is a game-time decision.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
RADIO
