April 7, 2026
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov (lower body) has been cleared to return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. He has been out of action for three games due to a lower-body injury. As a result of Mintyukov's return, Olen Zellweger will get the night off. Mintyukov's development has stalled during his third NHL campaign, as the 22-year-old has logged 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists), 74 SOG, and 106 blocks in 68 games. He will accompany John Carlson on the second defensive pairing on Tuesday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier (upper body) will miss a fourth consecutive game on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. The talented goal-scorer suffered an upper-body injury in late March. Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville has indicated that Gauthier could return to action before the end of the team's current five-game homestand, which finishes on Sunday against Vancouver. Gauthier is tied for third in the league with 15 goals since February. He leads the Ducks in goals (38) and points (65) this season. With Gauthier out, Ryan Poehling has joined the top six, tallying two goals and one assist in the last three games.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach (upper body) will be available for action on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers. He has been out since mid-March with an upper-body injury, which has cost Dach 11 games. Alexandre Texier (lower body) is also available after missing seven games. Although Dach has seen time on the top line this season, he is expected to return in a bottom-six capacity on Tuesday, which will severely limit his fantasy appeal. The 25-year-old has recorded 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 32 games this season. Dach is expected to slot into the lineup in place of Joe Veleno (undisclosed), who was absent from the morning skate.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (undisclosed) will return to the lineup for Tuesday's tilt against the Boston Bruins. The Hurricanes captain sat out Sunday's loss to Ottawa with an undisclosed injury. It appears it was just a maintenance day for Staal, as Carolina has little left to play for. Jordan Martinook (undisclosed) will also return after sitting out Sunday's action. The two are expected to skate with Nikolaj Ehlers on the third line. Staal and Martinook should benefit from Ehlers' skill and creativity. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Eric Robinson will spend the evening in the press box as healthy scratches.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Colorado Avalanche forwards Valeri Nichushkin (upper body) and Nicolas Roy (upper body) will rejoin the lineup on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues. While Nichushkin returns from a one-game absence, Roy has been unavailable for seven contests. Both players have been dealing with upper-body injuries. With Nichushkin back in the mix, Nazem Kadri will drop to the third line. However, Kadri will still have plenty of fantasy value thanks to his role on the first power-play unit. Roy will join Kadri on the third line alongside Ross Colton, but he hasn't made a significant impact in fantasy this season. Joel Kiviranta and Zakhar Bardakov will be scratched on Tuesday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (upper body) is going to miss "a few more games," according to head coach Jared Bednar. He will be absent for a fourth consecutive contest on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues. Bednar added that Makar will return before the end of the regular season, so it looks like the team will count on him for the final few games next week. The Avalanche are looking to clinch the Western Conference title on Tuesday, with Devon Toews and Sam Malinski playing larger roles on defense in Makar's absence.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 7, 2026
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (personal) won't play on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports. He has left the team to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. Considering Florida has nothing left to play for, it wouldn't be surprising if Tkachuk misses several games. His absence will give Mackie Samoskevich a chance to skate on the first line against Montreal. The 23-year-old has grown his reputation recently, scoring in four consecutive games before he finished pointless in Sunday's loss to Pittsburgh. He could be a good addition to fantasy squads, especially since Samoskevich will also log time on the first power-play unit.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jameson Olive
April 7, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov recorded his 400th career goal in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The former MVP found the back of the net on the power play midway through the first period. Steven Stamkos was previously the only Lightning player to score at least 400 times, and Kucherov became the eighth Russia-born player to reach the 400-goal mark. Following Monday night's action, Kucherov once again shares the NHL's scoring lead with Edmonton's Connor McDavid. He has bagged 126 points (43 goals, 83 assists) in 71 appearances, scoring in three consecutive games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 7, 2026
Vancouver Canucks left wing Evander Kane (undisclosed) didn't practice on Monday and is unlikely to play on Tuesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights. He is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. The veteran power forward has been dealing with the issue for a while, but he played through the injury to reach 1,000 career games a week ago. Kane then sat out the last two games of a four-game road trip before returning to the lineup for Saturday's home contest against Utah, where he was honored in a pregame ceremony commemorating his 1,000th regular-season game. With Vancouver firmly planted at the bottom of the standings, there's little reason to push Kane back into action when he's not at 100 percent.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
April 7, 2026
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (upper body) won't be available for Tuesday's tilt against the Vegas Golden Knights. After battling an illness over the weekend, Lankinen missed Monday's practice and is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 30-year-old has had a miserable campaign in Vancouver, going 9-26-5 across 40 starts. He carries a 3.69 goals-against average and a .875 save percentage. Jiri Patera was recalled on an emergency basis from the minors before Saturday's clash against Utah and will presumably stay with the big club until Lankinen returns. Nikita Tolopilo started Saturday's game, allowing six goals with a .739 save percentage in a 7-4 loss.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
April 7, 2026
Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron (lower body) is week-to-week. He missed Monday's win over Seattle and could be out for the remainder of the regular season. The 27-year-old has had the best season of his career, posting 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 65 games. He is fourth on the Jets' roster with 132 hits. Losing Barron is a setback for the playoff-chasing Winnipeg, but the team welcomed back some reinforcements on Monday. Nino Niederreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov both returned to action, with the latter finishing the scoring with an empty-net goal in a 6-2 victory.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
April 7, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Pontus Holmberg (upper body) was injured during the third period of Monday's 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. He took an awkward fall into an unlatched penalty box door following a hit from Sabres forward Peyton Krebs. The NHL has launched an investigation into the incident. After the game, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper questioned whether the penalty box operator should be fired. Cooper added that Holmberg is "not good." The Swedish forward was spotted having his left arm in a sling. Holmberg is in his first year with the Lightning and has notched a career-high 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 70 games. Tampa Bay's offense was already without Anthony Cirelli (undisclosed), Brandon Hagel (lower body), and Dominic James(leg) on Monday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
April 7, 2026
Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer (lower body) left Monday's 6-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets in the second period. The German netminder allowed three goals on 18 SOG, finishing with a .833 save percentage. Grubauer's replacement, Joey Daccord, had the same save percentage as Seattle's playoff hopes suffered another blow. The team has now lost five straight and is 1-7-2 over the last 10 games. Grubauer has been the starter in most of the recent defeats. He has performed quite well, but the team hasn't scored enough goals. On Monday, Grubauer's record dropped to 13-12-4. He has a 2.65 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
April 6, 2026
Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele assisted three times in a 6-3 win over the Seattle Kraken on Monday. The Canadian center has been playing great lately with 14 points in his last seven games as the Jets try to capture a wild-card playoff spot. Scheifele now has 34 goals and 97 points in 77 games this year and is three points away from reaching 100 for the first time in his 15-year career.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
April 6, 2026
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced in a tough 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. He got back in the win column after losing his previous start to the Senators and earned his 20th win of the season. Luukkonen now has a 20-9-3 record, 2.52 goals against average, and a .911 save percentage.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
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