March 12, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (lower body) was forced to leave the game with a lower-body injury in Thursday's 6-4 victory against the Ducks. The Maple Leafs captain was injured on a knee-on-knee collision in the second period of the contest, with Ducks captain Radko Gudas getting a major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct, too. Matthews was assisted by a trainer and was only able to put minimal weight on his leg. Before the injury, Matthews scored a power-play goal to bring his season total to 27 goals through 60 games.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
St. Louis Blues right winger Jimmy Snuggerud had a two-goal game in a 3-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. His goals came back-to-back and gave the Blues a 2-1 lead. The 21-year-old rookie has been on fire lately with five goals and nine points in his last four games. He is a great waiver-wire pick-up right now in most fantasy leagues.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
San Jose Sharks center Michael Misa had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday. He got the scoring started six minutes into the game and then assisted on William Eklund's goal in the third period. The second overall pick from the 2025 draft got off to a slow start this season, but now he has picked it up and has 15 points in 26 games so far. He has a bright future ahead of him.
--Marko23Source: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
Minnesota Wild right wing Bobby Brink (upper body) is considered a game-time call for Thursday's matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers. He may have to miss a meeting with his former team after sustaining an upper-body injury in Tuesday's win over the Utah Mammoth. Brink has made three appearances with the Wild since being traded last week by the Flyers, recording one goal on three shots on net. Robby Fabbri is expected to make the lineup if Brink can't play. Through 17 games with both the Wild and St. Louis Blues this season, Fabbri has produced only one goal and three assists, making him a non-factor in fantasy hockey.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
Vancouver Canucks left wing Evander Kane (upper body) will return from a one-game absence on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. After shaking off an upper-body injury, Kane will replace Nils Hoglander in the lineup. Kane has had an underwhelming campaign, with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 61 games. Still, he could make a significant impact in Thursday's matchup, as Kane will skate on the top line with Elias Pettersson, Vancouver's leading scorer. Drew O'Connor will complete the trio. Kane's two goals helped Vancouver to a 5-4 overtime victory over Nashville in their last meeting on Nov. 3.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (upper body) is a game-time decision for Thursday's clash against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Golden Knights captain has missed five games with an upper-body injury, but he has a chance to return on Thursday night. If he is cleared for action, Stone will immediately reclaim his spot on the first line and join the top power-play unit. Stone is third on the Vegas team with 60 points (21 goals, 39 assists) in 43 games and ranks sixth in the league with an average of 1.40 points per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
Florida Panthers forwards Carter Verhaeghe (tightness) and Anton Lundell (rest) won't return to the lineup on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Florida has fallen behind in the fight for a playoff spot and has started resting players. It's Verhaeghe's and Lundell's turn to sit out some action, while Sam Reinhart (rest) will rejoin the lineup. Florida's lineup maneuvering will result in Cole Reinhardt making his team debut on Thursday. Meanwhile, A.J. Greer is set to have a top-six role, which elevates his fantasy value. Greer is slated to skate with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart (rest) is expected to rejoin the lineup for Thursday's tilt against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was rested by the team on Tuesday night against Detroit, missing his first game of the season. Reinhart is set to start Thursday's game on the first line with Eetu Luostarinen and Evan Rodrigues. He will also be a vital part of the first power-play unit. This season, Reinhart has averaged slightly below a point per game, but he still leads Florida in scoring. Across 63 appearances, Reinhart has contributed 28 goals and 31 assists. Reinhart has finished 10 consecutive regular-season games against Columbus with at least one point.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
Detroit Red Wings forward Andrew Copp (lower body) will be out of action for two weeks. The veteran suffered a lower-body injury on Tuesday and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. This means Copp will be unavailable for at least six games, starting with Thursday's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Copp sits fifth in scoring among the Red Wings' forwards, with 37 points (eight goals, 29 assists) in 65 outings. Dylan Larkin (leg) has also been ruled out for two weeks, leading to J.T. Compher and Marco Kasper moving up in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (leg) will be unavailable for two weeks, head coach Todd McLellan said on Thursday. The Red Wings captain will miss a third consecutive game on Thursday night when the team visits the Tampa Bay Lightning. Larkin has scored 28 goals and 55 points in 63 games during a productive season. J.T. Compher is set to take over first-line center duties against Tampa Bay. His fantasy value will get a big boost by linking up with Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane, who have combined for over 100 points this season. Compher has managed 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 65 appearances. He has finished 14 of his last 16 outings without a point.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight (illness) will be available for Thursday's matchup with the Utah Mammoth, Kalen Lumpkins of the Chicago Tribune reports. The 24-year-old netminder has sat out three games due to illness. Knight has had it tough lately, dropping seven of his last eight decisions. Still, he's done solid work in the crease for the Blackhawks in 2025-26, posting a 16-18-8 record, a 2.62 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage, and three shutouts. Knight beat Utah 3-1 in October, and Chicago will look to sweep the regular-season series on Thursday.
--Taavi PailkSource: Kalen Lumpkins
March 12, 2026
San Jose Sharks winger William Eklund (lower body) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Boston Bruins, Max Miller of NHL.com reports. The talented forward has a lower-body injury and didn't practice on Wednesday. Eklund has been the fifth-highest scoring Shark this season, posting 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 58 games. However, he also carries a team-worst minus-26 rating, showing the 23-year-old has struggled during even-strength situations. Eklund's health issues could allow Pavol Regenda to rejoin the lineup. Regenda has scored eight goals in 18 appearances this season but has been used very sparingly in recent weeks.
--Taavi PailkSource: Max Miller
March 12, 2026
Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin finished Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers with a power-play assist. He set up Ryan Leonard for a goal midway through the first period to give Washington the lead, but the team's offense was flat for the rest of the contest. Before Wednesday night, Ovechkin went scoreless for three games, and he's had a tough time making an impact since the Olympic break finished. Over the past seven games, Ovechkin has tallied just two goals and one assist. Nonetheless, at 40 years old, the veteran star has maintained a solid level of performance in 2025-26. With 66 games played, Ovechkin has contributed 24 goals and 27 assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson extended his career-high road point streak to 10 games with an assist in Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. He helped Juraj Slafkovsky open the scoring late in the first period. Another productive road outing would allow Hutson to match a franchise record among defensemen. He will have to wait for a bit for his chance to make history, as the Canadiens begin a three-game homestand on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks. Hutson will enter the matchup with 66 points (11 goals, 55 assists) in 64 games. Only two blue-liners in the league have recorded more points this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
March 12, 2026
Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov played a key role in Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators, finishing with two points. The Russian talent became the second rookie this season with 50 points, assisting Juraj Slafkovsky in the first period and netting the game-winning goal with 7:20 played in the third. Demidov is neck and neck with Anaheim's Beckett Sennecke in the race to finish first in scoring among rookies. Both players have 51 points. Demidov has reached the mark with 14 goals and 37 assists in 64 games. He has been a bit quiet in recent months, notching points in back-to-back games only two times in 2026.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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