Pulock has not played in a week, but will return to the lineup on Wednesday against the New York Rangers. The 31-year-old Pulock is averaging 21:09 time-on-ice and has 21 points (2G / 19A) in 50 games this season.
Boqvist will take a seat on Wednesday, and could see his ice time take a significant hit in the near-future given the arrival of Carson Soucy and return of Ryan Pulock. Boqvist has zero goals and one assist in 20 games this season.
Brodzinski will slot in for Artemi Panarin, who is being held out indefinitely for roster-related reasons. Brodzinski will skate with Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe on the Rangers' fourth line on Wednesday.
Panarin has long been rumoured to be one of the biggest trade chips on the market ahead of this season's trade deadline, and this latest report suggests a deal could happen sooner rather than later. Panarin is on the final year of a seven-year contract with an AAV of $11.6M that includes a full no movement clause, so no trade can be made without his approval. Regardless, it's an unfortunate development for fantasy owners as, barring a trade within the next week, we won't see Panarin back on the ice until late February at the earliest.
After a successful first campaign in North America in 2024-25 with both Chicago (AHL) and Carolina, Juha Jaaska earned himself a two-year, $1.55 million contract extension ($755,000 AAV) to remain with the Hurricanes. That said, the 27-year-old Finnish forward has yet to play this season due to injuries, but should make his debut soon in the AHL.
Rifai has only played two career NHL games and has seem limited action at either level this season. The undrafted 27-year-old defenseman has four assists in 12 games with the Marlies (AHL).
Mermis has not played in nearly two minus, excluding a brief conditioning stint with the Marlies (AHL). The 32-year-old defenseman is averaging 13:02 time-on-ice and has one goal in 11 gams with the Maple Leafs this season.
Thrun was recalled earlier this week for precautionary reasons, but did not draw into the lineup. He has spent most of the season with the Toronto Marlies, where he has 14 points (3G / 11A) in 28 games.
Terry has been sidelined for over three weeks because of an upper-body injury, but appears to be nearing a return after practicing on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Terry is having an excellent season, with 42 points (13G / 29A) in 43 games. He had seven points (3G / 4A) in his last five games before his injury.
Hoglander has been a regular in Vancouver's lineup for the past few weeks, but was absent from practice on Wednesday because of an upper-body injury as he gets evaluated further. The 25-year-old Swedish forward has two assists in 18 games this season.
Ekholm is coming off a sensation three-goal performance in 19:58 time-on-ice in Monday's 7-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks, but is battling an undisclosed injury, making his status for Thursday uncertain. The 35-year-old defenseman has 26 points (6G / 20A) in 54 games this season.
Injuries awarded Gaunce the opportunity to play 25 games with Columbus this season, his highest total since the 2021-22 campaign. The 31-year-old forward averaged 11:54 time-on-ice and scored six points (2G / 4A) with Columbus before being placed on waivers and ultimately returning to the AHL.
Aston-Reese started the season with Cleveland (AHL), but injuries afforded him the opportunity to play with the Blue Jackets. The 31-year-old bottom-six forward scored five points (1G / 4A) with Columbus before being placed on waivers and ultimately returning to the AHL.
With Dan Vladar (lower body) activated from Injured Reserve, Kolosov will return to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL). The 24-year-old Kolosov has spent most of the season in the AHL and struggled in limited NHL action, posting a 4.00 GAA and .830 SV% in four appearances with the Flyers (0-2-0).
Gibson allowed two goals on 21 shots (.905 SV%) in a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, a rare loss for the 32-year-old Gibson, who has been near-perfect in recent weeks. The American goalie has only lost three times in his past 20 outings (17-3-0), posting a dazzling 2.05 GAA and .930 SV%. Odds will be in Gibson's favour on Thursday against a Washington Capitals team that has lost six of its last seven games (1-5-1).
Already without top-six forwards Robert Thomas (lower body) and Dylan Holloway (ankle), the Blues' injury woes worsened in Tuesday's game against the Dallas Stars, with Jordan Kyrou (upper body) and Jake Neighbours (lower body) both exiting the game early. That said, the team was reassured on Wednesday morning, with the announcement that neither Kyrou nor Neighbours is expected to be out for long. The 23-year-old Neighbours has 21 points (12G / 9A) in 41 games this season, but has struggled lately, with only one assist in his last five outings.
Already without top-six forwards Robert Thomas (lower body) and Dylan Holloway (ankle), the Blues' injury woes worsened in Tuesday's game against the Dallas Stars, with Jordan Kyrou (upper body) and Jake Neighbours (lower body) both exiting the game early. That said, the team was reassured on Wednesday morning, with the announcement that neither Kyrou nor Neighbours is expected to be out for long. The 27-year-old Kyrou has had a disappointing season, with only 24 points (11G / 13A) through 43 games. Over his previous four seasons, Kyrou was nearly a point-per-game player, with 285 points in 317 games (0.9 PTS/GP).
Dobes has had a wildly inconsistent season, varying month to month. He had an elite 2.03 GAA and .930 SV% in six October games (6-0-0), which he followed up with a dreadful November, posting a 4.02 GAA and .849 SV% in seven games (2-3-2). The 24-year-old Czech goalie has been more reliable lately, is coming off a stellar 32-save performance (.941 SV%) in a 3-2 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights, and has won six of his last seven outings (6-0-1).
Middleton played a career-high 41 games with the Avalanche last season, but has spent the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign in the AHL. The 27-year-old defenseman has nine points (2G / 7A) in 39 games with the Eagles (AHL) this season.
Gostisbehere has missed several multi-week stints this season, most recently being sidelined since January 13th because of a lower-body injury. That said, when healthy, the 32-year-old Gostisbehere has been one of the most productive blueliners this season, scoring 32 points (6G / 26A) in 35 games. He hopes to return to lineup when Carolina returns to action on Thursday against the Utah Mammoth.
