Fantasy Hockey News

Leon Draisaitl (lower-body) will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season for the Oilers. (Source: Chris Johnston on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Draisaitl suffered the lower-body injury in Edmonton’s 3-1 victory over the Nashville Predators Sunday. The superstar finishes the season posting a 1.49 point per game average (35 goals, 62 assists) in 65 contests. Jason Dickinson will likely be elevated to a more prominent top-forward role in Draisaitl’s absence.

Auston Matthews (knee) will miss the remainder of the season the Toronto Maple Leafs announced. (Source: Toronto Maple Leafs on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Matthews suffered the season-ending injury from a knee-on-knee hit at the hands of Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas Thursday night. The superstar center finishes a frustrating season in Toronto, tallying 53 points (27 goals, 26 assists) in 60 games for head coach Craig Berube.

Sidney Crosby (lower-body) has been placed on injured reserve by the Pittsburgh Penguins the team announced. (Source: Pittsburgh Penguins on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Crosby will miss at least a minimum of four weeks after suffering the injury in the Olympic quarterfinals for Team Canada. The superstar center tallied 59 points (27 goals, 32 assists) in 56 games for the Penguins while leading the top forward line for head coach Dan Muse on a nightly basis.

Kevin Fiala (leg) had surgery on his leg Saturday morning in Italy and will miss the remainder of the Los Angeles Kings' season. Fiala was stretchered off the ice after a collision with Canada's Tom Wilson during Switzerland's 5-1 loss to Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics. (Source: Elliotte Friedman on X)

Fantasy Impact: This is unfortunate news for the Kings, who are just three points out of a playoff spot, as they lose their second-leading scorer to a gruesome leg injury during the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. It's also a tough blow for Team Switzerland as they were certainly in the mix for, at least, making it to the quarterfinals. Fiala had 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points in 56 games with the Kings this season, trailing only Adrian Kempe's 46 points on the roster. Fiala scored at least 60 points in four consecutive seasons and was well on his way to a fifth before the injury.

Victor Hedman (elbow) has been activated from injured reserve and returns to the lineup for the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Boston Bruins Sunday. (Source: NHL on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Herman’s has missed the last 22 games for the Lightning after elbow surgery, returning to play in the Stadium Series outdoor game and fortifying a talented Tampa Bay blueline group as part of an explosive lineup for head coach Jon Cooper. The defenseman has posted 12 assists, eight hits, and 29 blocked shots so far this season.

Matthew Tkachuk (groin) has been activated from injured reserve and returns to the lineup for the Florida Panthers against the San Jose Sharks Monday according to Jameson Olive. (Source: Jameson Olive on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Tkachuk makes his season debut for head coach Paul Maurice after missing the first 47 games of the 2025-26 season, providing another boost to a Florida lineup that has persevered through injury issues throughout the season. The winger offers fantasy managers another dynamic option in lineups if available.

William Nylander (lower-body) is not in the lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Winnipeg Jets Saturday according to Darren Dreger. (Source: Darren Dreger on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Nylander will sit out after aggravating the lower-body injury the winger recently returned from in Thursday night’s loss to the Golden Knights, leaving head coach Craig Berube without one of his more explosive offensive options against the Jets Saturday night.

Patrick Kane (upper-body) returns to the lineup for the Detroit Red Wings against the Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday night. (Source: Helene St. James on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Kane will take the ice after missing the last six games with the upper-body injury, providing head coach Todd McClellan with another dynamic offensive option in the Detroit lineup Sunday night. The veteran winger has posted 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in 24 games so far this season.

Jack Hughes (finger) returns to the lineup for the New Jersey Devils against the Buffalo Sabres Sunday. (Source: New Jersey Devils on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Hughes is back after missing the last five weeks with the finger injury and will provide a boost to a New Jersey offense that has fought consistency issues on the offensive zone in his absence. The talented center posted 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 17 games prior to the injury.

Seth Jarvis left Friday night's game against the Florida Panthers with an undisclosed injury after crashing into the post with 20 seconds left in overtime. According to Hurricanes' head coach, Rod Brind'Amour, Jarvis is expected to be "out for a while." (Source: NHL.com)

Fantasy Impact: Brind'Amour stated that Jarvis' injury "is not good and he will be out for a while." This is obviously significant news for both the Hurricanes and for fantasy owners as Jarvis leads the team, and is tied for ninth in the league, with 19 goals. He had two assists in Friday night's 4-3 shootout loss to the Panthers. Jarvis is coming off back-to-back 67-point seasons and was on pace to meet or eclipse that mark this season. Tough loss for the Hurricanes who currently lead the competitive Eastern Conference with 47 points.

Connor Hellebuyck (knee) has been activated from injured reserve.

Fantasy Impact: Hellebuyck is poised to return to the crease for a Winnipeg squad that has struggled in the netminder’s absence over the last few weeks. Hellebuyck posted a 2.51 GAA and .913 save percentage in 14 appearances (8-6-0) in goal for the Jets prior to the knee injury.

Connor Bedard (shoulder) is out of the lineup for the Chicago Blackhawks against the Detroit Red Wings. (Source: Ben Pope on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Bedard will not suit up after suffering the apparent shoulder injury during the faceoff as time expired in Friday night’s contest against the Blues. The center was having a dynamic season while leading an inconsistent Chicago lineup, tallying 44 points in 31 games this season.

Rasmus Dahlin delivered two assists during an 8-4 win versus Ottawa. It was the first win of the season for Buffalo in four games played. He played 25:52 minutes, firing three shots and finishing with a minus-two rating.

Fantasy Impact: In four games played this season, Dahlin has three assists and a minus-five rating. Last year in 73 games, he had 17 goals and 51 assists (68 points) with a plus-11 rating.

Jacob Markstrom (lower-body) is expected to miss a couple of weeks according to head coach Sheldon Keefe. (Source: New Jersey Devils on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Markstrom’s absence from the lineup should give backup Jake Allen the majority of work in net for the Devils, with Nico Daws also expected to see time between the pipes as well.

Dmitry Kulikov (upper-body) underwent surgery and will miss at least the next five months according to Panthers head coach Paul Maurice. (Source: Jameson Olive on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Kulikov joins one of many sidelined by injuries as part of an injury-ravaged Florida lineup to begin the season. The defenseman will likely be replaced on the third blueline pairing by Uvis Balinskis and Tobias Bjornfot for the time being in hopes in being available to return in mid-March for the Panthers.

Brady Tkachuk is expected to miss a minimum of four weeks with a wrist injury. The team captain sustained the injury during Monday's loss to Nashville and is still being evaluated to determine if surgery is required, a procedure that could extend his absence. Through three games, Tkachuk has recorded three assists, 10 shots on goal, and 10 hits. (Source: Alex Adams)

Fantasy Impact: This is a devastating blow for fantasy managers, as Tkachuk is one of the premier multi-category producers in the league. His elite contributions in points, shots, and especially hits are nearly impossible to replace. Managers should immediately place him on injured reserve. Drake Batherson is expected to draw into the lineup and will likely see an increased role, making him a priority waiver-wire addition in most formats.

Alex Pietrangelo (hip) has been placed on long-term injured reserve by the Vegas Golden Knights and is out for the season according to Elliotte Friedman. (Source: Elliotte Friedman on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Pietrangelo has fought injuries over the past few seasons and will now sit out for the Golden Knights while also providing cap relief to a club looking to make a deep postseason run in 2025-26. The veteran defenseman’s status behind this season is in serious doubt as well as he continues to fight a multitude of ailments.

Aleksander Barkov (knee) could miss the entire upcoming 2025-26 regular season. (Source: ESPN on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Barkov was injured during the opening day of Panthers training camp, potentially dealing a significant blow to a top-six forward group that will also be without Matthew Tkachuk to begin the season.

Charlie McAvoy was unable to play in Monday's 4-Nations round-robin finale against Team Sweden due to an upper-body injury. He was admitted to a local-area hospital due to the injury, head coach Mike Sullivan said. (Source: Jim McBride)

Fantasy Impact: McAvoy has a history of shoulder issues, including a surgery in 2022 for a left shoulder arthroscopic stabilization procedure. However, it remains to be seen whether McAvoy's UBI is related to the shoulder, or another body part. His status for Thursday's 4-Nations final against Team Canada is uncertain.

Linus Ullmark did not dress for Team Sweden's final round-robin game in the 4-Nations Tournament Monday against Team USA as he battles an illness. (Source: Elliotte Friedman)

Fantasy Impact: Friedman reported that the flu was running rampant through the Swedish locker room, and it was also the reason Pittsburgh's Rickard Rakell and Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers were unable to go. Ullmark has until Saturday evening to recover before the Montreal Canadiens come calling, as NHL play resumes after the break.