January 28, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (lower body) was activated from Injured Reserve and will start Wednesday's contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Czechia netminder has been out for six games while dealing with a lower-body injury. Across 28 prior starts this season, Vladar has posted a good 16-7-4 record. While he hasn't yet registered a single shutout, the 28-year-old has limited opponents to 2.46 goals while producing a .905 save percentage. The Blue Jackets are on a 6-1-0 run and scored eight goals in their last outing, making this a tough game for Vladar's return to the net.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 28, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk (upper body) will rejoin the lineup on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. He has been out for six games due to an upper-body injury. Jake Christiansen will make way for Mateychuk in the lineup. It's been a good sophomore campaign for Mateychuk, as the 21-year-old has tallied 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 44 outings while blocking 63 shots. He will join Ivan Provorov on the second defensive pairing, and the two will be part of the second power-play unit as well. Forward Miles Wood (upper body) will also re-enter the Blue Jackets lineup on Wednesday after missing 12 games, giving the in-form team a further boost.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
Ottawa Senators center Stephen Halliday (upper body) won't play in Wednesday's matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. The 23-year-old had a fantastic game on Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights with two goals and one assist, but Halliday also sustained an upper-body injury during the contest. He is considered day-to-day, with Halliday's first chance to return coming on Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils. Xavier Bourgault is expected to replace Halliday in the lineup after he was recalled from the minors. Having been almost a point-per-game performer in the AHL this season, Bourgault will get an opportunity to play in the NHL for just the second time in his career.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton (lower body) will miss a third consecutive game on Wednesday night against the Ottawa Senators. He suffered a lower-body injury a week ago and is considered day-to-day. Colorado has been hopeful that Colton will return at some point during the team's current four-game road trip. There are two more stops on the trip: Thursday in Montreal and Saturday in Detroit. With Colton and Gabriel Landeskog (upper body) on the shelf, Victor Olofsson has received an opportunity on the first line. Meanwhile, Taylor Makar has slotted into the third line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (upper body) will sit out an 11th consecutive game on Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators. He remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Toews' next chance to return will be on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. With him out, Sam Malinski has been accompanying Cale Makar on the first defensive pairing. The Cornell University product, who signed a four-year extension earlier this week, has also seen some power-play time. However, Malinski has been in an offensive slump this month, making it on the score sheet just twice in 11 appearances. Overall, he has notched a career-high 24 points (three goals, 21 assists) in 50 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
New York Islanders right wing Simon Holmstrom (illness) was on the ice on Wednesday morning and is expected to play against the New York Rangers. The Swedish forward wasn't in the lineup on Monday versus the Philadelphia Flyers due to illness. Holmstrom has finished five of his last six appearances without a point. Still, he's been a solid contributor for the Islanders, tallying 12 goals and 12 assists in 50 outings. Max Shabanov is set to be a healthy scratch against the Rangers, with Holmstrom joining Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau on the third line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock (upper body) is considered a game-time decision for Wednesday's Battle of New York against the Rangers. The veteran has been sidelined for two games due to an upper-body injury. Pulock adds a lot to the Islanders' blue line, recording 21 points (two goals, 19 assists) and a team-high 92 blocks in 50 appearances this season. If he's deemed healthy to play, Pulock will likely replace Adam Boqvist in the lineup and join Carson Soucy on the third defensive pairing. Soucy is ready to make his Islanders debut after being traded by the Rangers on Monday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack St. Ivany (hand) is expected to miss up to eight weeks after undergoing surgery, the team announced. The 26-year-old injured his left hand during Sunday's 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. St. Ivany has suited up in 17 games this season, recording seven assists and 16 shots on goal. Last week, he impressed with back-to-back two-assist games. The Penguins have Connor Clifton and Ilya Solovyov available on the roster as replacements for St. Ivany on the backline.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
New Jersey Devils forward Cody Glass (undisclosed) couldn't finish Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets after blocking a shot. He was limited to 6:44 of ice time. According to Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe, Glass attempted to return to the game, which suggests his injury isn't severe, and it's possible Glass won't have to miss time. The Devils will return to work on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. Glass has scored 13 goals this season, putting him in a three-way tie for the second-most goals on his team. In 42 outings, he has also contributed five assists. Five of Glass' 18 points this season came during a recent two-game hot spell.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (upper body) couldn't complete Tuesday's tilt versus the Utah Mammoth, but he is expected to play in Thursday's matchup against the St. Louis Blues. Lundell was on the receiving end of a big hit in the second period and didn't come out for the third due to an upper-body injury. "I think he's going to be fine," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said postgame. With Aleksander Barkov (knee) unavailable, Lundell has played a vital role for the back-to-back champions this season. He has tallied 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 52 appearances, ranking fifth in scoring on his team.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 28, 2026
St. Louis Blues forwards Jordan Kyrou (upper body) and Jake Neighbours (lower body) couldn't complete Tuesday's tilt against the Dallas Stars. St. Louis lost Neighbours to a lower-body injury in the first frame, and Kyrou sustained an upper-body injury in the third. The two started the game on the second line alongside Pavel Buchnevich. Injuries have been a constant concern for the Blues up front, and the team will be desperate to have at least one of Neighbours and Kyrou available on Thursday night against the Florida Panthers. If both miss time, Dalibor Dvorsky and Robby Fabbri are potential candidates to fill the top six spots.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
January 28, 2026
Boston Bruins center Elias Lindholm (upper body) exited Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win against the Nashville Predators in the second period. He appeared to have been hurt during a face-off. While Lindholm has been on fire lately, he had a quiet evening on Tuesday, going scoreless with one shot on goal in 11:03 of action. If Lindholm has to miss time, Marat Khusnutdinov could rejoin the top six, while Casey Mittelstadt
may be shifted from the wing to center. Boston will be back in action on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
January 28, 2026
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower body) was forced to cut his night at the office short on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Midway through the opening frame, Luukkonen suffered a lower-body injury while attempting to make a save. He had a rough start in the game, allowing two goals on five shots. Following Luukkonen's exit, Colten Ellis took over the crease, helping the team to a 7-4 victory with 16 saves. Even if Luukkonen misses time, Ellis will have to settle for a backup role due to Alex Lyon's presence. In his next start, Lyon has a chance to establish a new franchise record with a 10th consecutive win.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
January 28, 2026
The New York Islanders have acquired left wing Ondrej Palat in a trade with the New Jersey Devils. Winger Maxim Tsyplakov moved in the opposite direction, along with a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick. The Devils had to attach a couple of draft picks to Palat to move him, as the Czech veteran has been underperforming for the team. In 51 outings this season, Palat has contributed only four goals and six assists. He has one more year left on his contract, which carries a $6 million cap hit. Palat probably won't have a large impact in New York, but he will add a lot of playoff experience to the Islanders' roster. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect much improvement from Tsyplakov either, as the Russian forward has been limited to two points (one goal, one assist) in 27 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 27, 2026
Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson (thigh) was replaced on Team Sweden's Olympic roster on Tuesday by Minnesota Wild winger Marcus Johansson. Carlsson underwent a thigh procedure on Jan. 16 and was ruled out for 3-5 weeks. Unfortunately, he won't recover in time to play in the Olympics and will remain out through the international break. The Ducks have three more games before the Olympics, starting with Thursday's tilt against the Vancouver Canucks. Carlsson has had an excellent campaign in 2025-26, recording 44 points (18 goals, 26 assists) across 44 games. With Mason McTavish (upper body) also recently missing time, Mikael Granlund has served as Anaheim's top centerman. Ryan Poehling has seen action on the second line, putting together a three-game point streak.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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