January 6, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe (lower body) will be sidelined for one week, head coach Craig Berube announced. The 32-year-old went down with a lower-body injury in Saturday's loss to the New York Islanders. After 41 games, McCabe leads Toronto with 104 blocks and has picked up 16 points (three goals, 13 assists). He has joined fellow blue-liners Brandon Carlo (foot) and Chris Tanev (groin) on the shelf. However, Carlo participated in Monday's practice and could be ready to fill in for McCabe on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
January 6, 2026
Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm (undisclosed) is poised to miss some time, Conor Ryan of Boston.com reports. "It's not going to be a day-to-day thing," Bruins head coach Marco Strum said about Lindholm's injury. "Hopefully it's not too long, but he's definitely going to be out for a little bit. We'll have to do more testing when we're back in Boston so we can go from there." Lindholm has made 34 appearances during the campaign, recording 14 points (three goals, 11 assists), 60 shots, and 59 blocks. After missing five weeks, Henri Jokiharju (undisclosed) practiced fully on Monday and could step into Lindholm's spot in the lineup on Tuesday versus the Seattle Kraken.
--Taavi PailkSource: Conor Ryan
January 6, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers center Christian Dvorak has signed a five-year, $25.75 million contract extension. After picking Dvorak up as a free agent on a one-year deal in the summer, the team has moved quickly to lock him up long-term. Following a four-year stint in Montreal, a change of scenery has suited Dvorak superbly, as he is having a career year. Currently, he is on track for a 50-point campaign, sitting on nine goals and 18 assists after 39 outings. While Dvorak has made the score sheet just twice in his last seven appearances, it should only be a matter of time before he ends the slump, as the 29-year-old skates with Philadelphia's top scorers, Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 6, 2026
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (lower body) exited Monday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth in the first period. The former Vezina Trophy winner couldn't carry on after being involved in a collision with Mammoth forward JJ Peterka. Shesterkin, who saved all nine shots he faced, was replaced in the crease by Jonathan Quick. While exiting the ice, he was unable to put weight on his left foot. Despite the Rangers' home struggles in 2025-26, Shesterkin maintains a solid 17-12-4 record. He has posted a 2.45 goals-against average, a .913 save percentage, and one shutout. Quick, who is 3-6-2 for the season, faces an increased workload if Shesterkin misses time.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 6, 2026
Los Angeles Kings right wing Joel Armia (upper body) didn't complete Monday's 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. The Finnish forward departed the game in the second period due to an upper-body injury. With Trevor Moore (illness) out, Armia has recently been on second-line duty. The Kings also lost Anze Kopitar (lower body) on Monday night, meaning further tweaks in the top six could be coming for Wednesday's matchup against the San Jose Sharks. Armia has totaled 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in 41 games during his first season with the Kings.
--Taavi PailkSource: Los Angeles Kings PR
January 6, 2026
Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (lower body) exited Monday's 4-2 win over the Minnesota Wild after the first period. He logged 4:54 of action in the first frame and was ruled out for the rest of the game with a lower-body injury. The Kings captain missed time in October with a foot injury and may now have to sit out some action again. Kopitar, who has announced this is his final season in the NHL, is currently on track to match his lowest career scoring total of 42 points. In 37 appearances, he has managed 21 points (six goals, 15 assists). Alex Turcotte, who has recorded assists in back-to-back games, could land a top-six spot on Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks if Kopitar isn't ready to play.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
January 5, 2026
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (illness) will be a game-time call on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. The young defensive star missed Monday's practice due to illness. Schaefer has enjoyed a good rookie campaign, recently becoming the first defenseman in NHL history to record two multi-goal games as an 18-year-old. Overall, he has managed 12 goals and 28 points in 42 appearances, adding 58 blocks on the defensive end. Adam Boqvist will likely replace Schaefer in the lineup on Tuesday if he doesn't feel better in 24 hours.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 5, 2026
Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn (face) will be out for at least two games. Benn took a bad fall during Sunday's defeat to the Montreal Canadiens and received stitches for his nose. On Monday, Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan indicated that Benn won't be available for an upcoming back-to-back against the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals. However, the Stars captain may be ready to return later this week for the West Coast portion of the team's six-game road trip. Colin Blackwell is on track to join the lineup on Tuesday against Carolina, while Adam Erne is expected to replace Benn on the third line.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 5, 2026
Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones (upper body) is out week-to-week. He missed Sunday's 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche after sustaining an upper-body injury on Friday night in the 2026 Winter Classic matchup against the New York Rangers. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice expects Jones to return to action before the Olympic break. Jones has done fine work for the Panthers in 2025-26, recording 24 points (six goals, 18 assists), 78 shots, 47 blocks, and 38 hits in 40 outings. On Sunday, Donovan Sebrango took Jones' spot in the lineup, with Uvis Balinskis moving to the second defensive pairing. Jones' absence has also led to increased power-play opportunities for Aaron Ekblad and Jeff Petry.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 5, 2026
Minnesota Wild defenseman Zach Bogosian (lower body) will sit out Monday's contest against the Los Angeles Kings. The veteran blue-liner took a shot to his foot on Saturday against the Kings and will miss at least one game. Unfortunately, Bogosian has had trouble with injuries all season, making only 23 appearances. He has registered four points (one goal, three assists), 20 shots, 20 blocks, and 20 hits with a plus-four rating. Matt Kiersted is projected to fill Bogosian's spot on the third defensive pairing on Monday. So far this season, Kiersted has appeared in only three games and holds no fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 5, 2026
Los Angeles Kings winger Trevor Moore (illness) will miss a third consecutive game on Monday against the Minnesota Wild, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports. Last week, the 30-year-old landed on the shelf due to illness. Jeff Malott has filled in for Moore in the lineup, while Joel Armia has skated on the second line. Despite seeing increased ice time over the past two games, Armia has not made an impact on the offensive end, going scoreless with four shots on goal. Moore's next opportunity to return will come on Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks.
--Taavi PailkSource: Zach Dooley
January 5, 2026
Washington Capitals winger Aliaksei Protas (lower body) is a game-time decision for Monday's tilt against the Anaheim Ducks. The Belarusian forward has a chance to return from a one-game absence. On Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks, a lower-body injury kept Protas sidelined for the first time this season. Protas has enjoyed red-hot form recently, logging points in each of his last five appearances, scoring four goals and delivering five assists. He boasts 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists) in 41 appearances for the campaign. The Capitals would certainly welcome Protas' return, especially with top scorer Tom Wilson (lower body) sidelined on Monday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 5, 2026
Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (lower body) is day-to-day and won't play on Monday night against the Anaheim Ducks. The power forward must sit out at least one game due to a lower-body injury he sustained during Saturday's meeting with the Chicago Blackhawks. Wilson leads the Capitals in goals (22), points (42), and hits (110) this season, averaging at least a point per game for the first time in his career. With Wilson out, Anthony Beauvillier and Connor McMichael may see increased ice time on Monday. Wilson's first chance to return will be on Wednesday against the Dallas Stars.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 5, 2026
San Jose Sharks defenseman John Klingberg (lower body) won't be available this week, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports. The Swedish veteran sustained a lower-body injury on Dec. 31 against the Minnesota Wild and wasn't in the lineup for Saturday's loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Due to the injury, Klingberg is set to miss at least three more games. Dmitry Orlov and Timothy Liljegren see more power-play time with Klingberg out. Further changes in the backline might be coming this week after Shakir Mukhamadullin (upper body) was hurt against Tampa Bay.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sheng Peng
January 5, 2026
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (groin) appears ready to return to the lineup soon, as he will travel with the team during an upcoming six-game road trip. Tkachuk, who had offseason surgery to repair a torn adductor and sports hernia, rejoined practice last week. Florida begins its trip in Toronto on Tuesday. Despite being without Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov (knee), the Panthers beat the league-leading Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Sunday to improve to 22-16-3. The team is only a point off a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Tkachuk's return will be a massive boost for three parties: the Panthers, fantasy managers, and Team USA, which has named him to the Olympic roster.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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