Zuccarrello is not expected to return soon and is out indefinitely with a back injury.
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NHL Injury Report
Peterka is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
Peterka has missed Utah's previous two practices for maintenance days due to an undisclosed injury and will remain day-to-day as we head into the final week of preseason. The 23-year-old is expected to be ready for opening night and his Mammoth debut after being acquired from Buffalo in the offseason. He is expected to play a pivotal role in Utah's top six after putting up 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games played last season.
Brisebois underwent surgery to repair a lower-body injury and is out indefinitely.
Kakko is expected to miss the next six weeks with a broken hand.
Kakko left Seattle's preseason game early in the week with an upper-body injury and is now expected to miss the next six weeks after it was announced he suffered a broken hand. The 24-year-old is entering his first full season in Seattle after being acquired from New York last season and putting up career highs in points (44) across 79 games played. Kakko is expected to play a pivotal top-six role for Seattle this season when he returns to the lineup.
Barkov underwent surgery to repair ACL and MCL injuries and will miss 7-to-9 months.
Barkov suffered injuries to his ACL and MCL in Thursday's practice and underwent surgery on Friday. According to the team, the expected recovery timeline for these injuries is 7-to-9 months, meaning he will be sidelined until at least late April. In other words, Barkov is expected to miss the entire regular season and won't be ready until Round 1 of the playoffs, at the earliest.
Hoglander (lower body) is out week-to-week.
Hoglander was expected to start the season on Vancouver's third line but will likely need to wait to make his season debut, as he is sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old scored 25 points (8G / 17A) in 72 games last season.
Rifai will undergo wrist surgery and be out indefinitely.
Rifai suffered the injury last night in a preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens. The 27-year-old Rifai will likely spend most of the season with the Marlies (AHL) upon his return, as he did last season when he tallied 13 points (3G / 10A) in 63 games.
Barkov is undergoing right knee surgery and will be out indefinitely.
Already without Matthew Tkachuk for the first few months of the season, the Panthers suffered another significant loss on Friday with the announcement that Barkov's entire season could be in jeopardy. The 30-year-old Barkov has averaged over a point per game in each of his last five seasons, including 71 points (20G / 51A) in 2024-25.
Tuch (undisclosed) will make his preseason debut on Saturday.
Tuch suffered a minor injury last week that kept him sidelined for several days, but he will draw into Buffalo's lineup on Saturday. The 29-year-old Tuch had 67 points (36G / 31A) in 82 games last season.
Reinbacher (broken metacarpal bone) will miss four weeks.
The Canadiens' fifth-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft has battled injuries early in his professional career and will be sidelined again to start the 2025-26 season. The 20-year-old defenseman has yet to play an NHL game and was limited to only 10 contests with the Laval Rocket in 2024-25, scoring five points (2G / 3A).
Panarin (lower body) has been cleared for contact.
Panarin returned to practice on Friday in a red jersey but has been cleared for contact. He suffered the injury last week in training camp. Panarin led the Rangers in points yet again last season, after putting up 37 goals and 89 points in 80 games played.
Blomqvist will miss at least four weeks with a lower-body injury.
Blomqvist's start to training camp is not going as planned after it was announced that the 23-year-old netminder will be sidelined at least four weeks. The sophomore netminder is expected to compete with Tristan Jarry for Pittsburgh's starting role in 2025-26 after putting up a 4-9-1 record, 3.81 GAA and .885 SV% in 15 games played as a rookie last season.
Dobson (undisclosed) left Thursday’s preseason game and did not return.
Stephenson (undisclosed) left Tuesday's game vs. Calgary and is considered day-to-day.
Stephenson left Seattle's game on Tuesday vs. Calgary due to an undisclosed injury and is considered day-to-day going forward. The 31-year-old centre is coming off his second consecutive 51-point season after completing his first year in Seattle in 2024-25. He is expected to play a key role up the middle of Seattle's offence this year.
Kakko (upper-body) is still being evaluated and expected to see a specialist on Friday for the extent of his injury.
Kakko left Seattle's preseason game on Tuesday with an upper-body injury and is still being evaluated with the expectation he will see a specialist on Friday. The 24-year-old is entering his first full season in Seattle after putting up career highs in points (44) in 2024-25 between New York and Seattle. Kakko is expected to play a pivotal top-six role this season, so if he is forced to miss any time, it will be worrisome for the Kraken.
Luukkonen (lower-body) will be ready for the start of the regular season.
Luukkonen was announced day-to-day with a lower-body injury last week, but has yet to return to Buffalo's practice to start training camp. Thankfully, the 26-year-old netminder stated in an interview on Thursday that he would be ready for the start of the season. Buffalo had signed Alexandar Georgiev to replace Luukkonen if he was unable to go for the beginning of the 2025-26 season. Luukkonen is expected to start the majority of Sabre games yet again this season after posting a 24-24-5 record, .887 SV% and 3.20 GAA across 55 starts last season.
Barkov left Thursday’s practice with a lower-body injury and will undergo further evaluation.
Barkov left Florida's practice on Thursday with an apparent leg injury and is being further evaluated by the Panthers' training staff. Head Coach Paul Maurice stated that the team should have news on the team's captain by Friday. The 30-year-old is entering his 13th NHL season after finishing 2024-25 above a point-per-game for the 5th straight year with 20 goals and 71 points in 67 games.
Benn will undergo surgery for a collapsed lung and will be reevaluated in four weeks.
Dallas will be without their captain for an extended period after it was announced Thursday that Jamie Benn will undergo surgery for a collapsed lung and will be reevaluated in four weeks. The 36-year-old is entering his 17th NHL season and has only missed two games across the previous four years. In 2024-25, he had 16 goals, 49 points and 70 PIMs in 80 games played.
White is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
San Jose has their first significant injury of the 2025-26 season after it was announced Colin White is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. The 28-year-old's hopes of cracking the opening night roster were cut short on Monday after he appeared in three games with the Sharks in 2024-25. The 28-year-old is entering his 10th NHL season and 2nd in San Jose.
Klingberg is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
After one preseason game, John Klingberg is officially day-to-day with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss the Sharks' upcoming game on Friday. The 32-year-old was signed to a one-year, $4 million contract in the offseason after appearing in 30 games with Edmonton in 2024-25 across the regular season and playoffs.
NHL Injury Report
Daily Faceoff NHL injury report compiles all of the reported injuries from across the National Hockey League so you can see who is set to be sidelined, what their injury is, and how long they are expect to be out of commission. Injury updates are some of the most important NHL player news for any hockey fan to stay on top of, as winning or losing can ultimately be decided by the absence of a key player from within a team’s lineup. If you’re an avid hockey bettor, it’s crucial to your betting success that you stay informed on the latest injury news. Check out the latest NHL injury report on this page and see who’s set to miss some time this NHL season.
Reading the NHL Injury Report
The daily NHL injury report provides you with information regarding the type of injury a player is suffering from, the severity of it, as well as the timeline for their potential return. Common injury designations are day-to-day (almost fully healthy) out (not healthy, but not a long-term issue), and injured reserve/long-term injured reserve (out for an extended period of time).
Along with our regularly updated NHL injury report, you can also stay in the know regarding NHL injuries through team reporters/beat writers, social media channels and journalists, as well as official site reports from the NHL or their respective clubs.
Common NHL Injuries
In a physical sport such as hockey, injuries are a necessary evil as the toll it takes on each player’s body builds up over the course of an entire season. With the speed the game is played at the NHL level, it is common place for various injures to occur on a game-to-game basis. Whether it’s from a hard hit, inadvertent contact from a stick, or even being pelted by a blocked shot or deflected puck, it can be nearly impossible to avoid getting banged up over the course of an NHL contest.
Unlike many other professional sports leagues across the globe, the NHL tends to keep injury details close to the vest, reporting injury designations as either an upper body injury or lower body injury after players undergo tests. Below we’ll dive into some of the most common injuries that occur across the NHL, how they can affect players, and how long these injuries can sideline them from action.
Upper Body Injuries
Upper body injuries encompass all injuries that occur from the waist and up which includes the torso, arms, back, as well as the head. Common upper body injuries include shoulder dislocation, clavicle fractures, and broken/sprained wrists. An upper body injury could happen in a number of ways.
One of the most common and severe injuries that occurs across the NHL are concussions. Concussions are caused when the brain bounces or twists within the skull. This can be caused in a number of ways in hockey, generally from a hard impact whether that’s against another players body, the ice, or the boards. Recovery timelines for concussions vary from case-to-case with some players suffering mild effects and clearing protocol within a few weeks, to drastic scenarios where a player could miss the remainder of the season.
Lower Body Injuries
While players are often able to play through upper body injuries, a lower body injury can force a player to miss an extended amount of ice time depending on the location and severity of the issue. Lower body injuries encompass all issues from the waist down.
With so many pivotal muscle groups found within the lower body, these types of injuries often leave athletes unable to practice, let alone compete. Arguably the worst lower body injury a player can experience is a knee injury. From ACL tears, to MCL strains, or even broken patellas, there a numerous key ligaments and muscles, within the knee that are essential to a hockey players ability to hit the ice. Severe injuries to the knee can lead to lengthy absences from the lineup as well as a host of potential issues down the line of a players career if not successfully rehabbed. Other common lower body injuries in hockey include hip pointers, groin strains, and sprained/broken ankles.
Reserve Lists
In the NHL, players are often moved in and out of the lineup due to injury but when an issue occurs in which a player is set to miss an extended period of time, they must be placed under the official designation of the injured reserve list. NHL teams utilize reserve lists as a way to provide injured players time to recover from their physical ailments, as well as to free up space within their active roster to replace the output of their missing player.
There are two versions of reserve lists in the NHL, the injured reserve list (IR) and the long term injured reserve list (LTIR). Each reserve list holds their own distinctions for players to qualify, as well as how teams are able to replace members of the roster when they are forced to send an injured athlete to an injury reserve list. Below are the key differences between each reserve list and how an injured player can find themselves placed there in a season.
Injured Reserve List
The injured reserve list (IR) is for any player who is set to miss seven calendar days or more due to injury, disablement or illness is designated. Once a player is sent to injured reserve they must spend at least seven calendar days out of the teams lineup, but is still able to attend practices, team meetings, as well as travel with their team. Players are eligible to stay on the injured reserve until they are cleared by their team medical staff as ready and fit to return to competition…. When a player is sent to the injured reserve list, clubs are able to call up players from their roster to replace them whether that is from a scratched member of their main roster, a call up from the minors (AHL/ECHL), or by signing a free agent (cap space permitting).
Long Term Injured Reserve List
Similar to the injured reserve list, the long term injured reserve list (LTIR) is designed for teams to make up for severe injuries that have occurred to a player during the season. A player can be placed on the LTIR if they have been evaluated by medical staff and are ruled out of action for a minimum of 24 calendar days or 10 NHL games. Players often spend a much longer time on this reserve list once they are placed there due to the nature and severity of their injuries.
One major difference between the IR and the LTIR is the ability to circumvent the salary cap. When a player is placed on the LTIR, teams are able to pull from what is referred to as the “LTIR Pool”. The LTIR pool is the amount in which a team is granted in cap space after a player has been assigned to the LTIR. This amount is determined by subtracting the total amount of cap space remaining for a team from the affected player’s salary cap hit for the season. The amount given in the LTIR pool is also dependent on whether a team is under or over the salary cap at the beginning of the regular season.
For example, if a player who has a $2 million annual cap hit is placed on the LTIR and their team was under the salary cap by $500K, they would deduct the $500K in remaining cap space from the player’s annual salary hit, leaving the team with $1.5M to spend on replacements for their injured player.
However, if a team is over the salary cap to begin the regular season the LTIR pool is divided differently. In this case whatever the value of the overage in salary cap is at the start of the season will be the LTIR pool funds available for a club. For example, if a team is over the salary cap by $1 million, and a player with a $5 million cap hit is placed on the LTIR, their LTIR pool is valued at $1M as that is the amount they were over the cap to begin the season.
When a player is removed from the LTIR, the team must be under the annual salary cap hit on that day.
Considering Injuries When Placing NHL Bets
Considering injuries when placing NHL bets is incredibly important. By staying informed about the latest injury news heading into a matchup, you can better formulate how a matchup may play out based on the personnel available for action. Here’s how you can use the NHL injury report to influence your next bet and help give you a knowledgeable boost on all your wagers placed on tonight’s clashes.
Moneyline and Puck Line Bets
When placing a moneyline or puck line bet, knowing who is suiting up for action can make or break your chances of winning your wager. It only takes the absence of one player to shift the lines and change the outcome of the game. By waiting for the latest injury report prior to puck drop, bettors can make informed decisions before throwing down a wager on an upcoming matchup.
For example, if the New Jersey Devils are set to play the Columbus Blue Jackets but Jack Hughes is out due to injury, you may not want to back the Devils on the moneyline. Instead, you can use this information to reevaluate where the best value is on the adjusted moneyline and puck line for this contest.
Goal Total Bets
Each team relies heavily on their top goal-scorers to produce on a nightly-basis. If one of these performers is sidelined due to injury this could majorly effect the final score of the game. For example, if Minnesota Wild star forward Kirill Kaprizov is out of action due to injury heading into a contest against the New York Islanders, you could use this information to your advantage by betting the Under on the matchup due to the elite goal-scorer’s absence.
The same can be said inversely about a team’s goaltending. If the Tampa Bay Lightning are set to be without superstar netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy in their clash with the Toronto Maple Leafs, it may be in your best interest to bet the Over as his backup may not be able to handle the oppositions high-powered offence.
Prop Bets
Player injuries are also a prevalent factor to take into account before placing a prop bet on a matchup. If a team is without some of their top line players, it can leave the door open for someone lower in the depth chart to step up in their place.
For example, if The Ottawa Senators are taking on the San Jose Sharks, but Brady Tkachuk is listed as out on the latest injury report, other members of the Senators may be due for an increase in output as they look to make up for the void in production left by their team captain.
Futures Odds
While you don’t need a crystal ball to place a successful futures bet, knowing the latest injury news for each team can make a positive impact on your bets potential success. The NHL regular season is a vigorous journey that takes a heavy toll on the bodies of the athletes competing, and can sometimes lead to key members of a roster winding up on the injured reserve as a result. If a team does end up with an injury to one of their top players, this could completely derail their hopes of competing into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
For example, if Colorado Avalanche superstar forward Nathan Mackinnon suffers a season-ending injury just before the All-Star break, you can expect to see their Stanley Cup future odds drop drastically as their best player is put on the shelf. On the other hand, you can also expect to see the ripple effects of this change in odds as other top contenders see their Stanley Cup odds increase as the competition among the top of the league is dropped.
NHL Injury Report FAQs
How often does the NHL injury report get updated?
The NHL injury report is updated daily so that you can see the latest injury news ahead of puck drop in any of today’s matchups. Seeing timely updates to the NHL injury report can make a major impact on your daily fantasy sports picks and wagers on a particular game. All information provided on the NHL injury report is provided directly by the NHL and each respective franchise to ensure accuracy.
How long can a player stay on the injured reserve list?
While the minimum amount of time spent on the injured reserve list is seven calendar days, there is no maximum amount of time that a player can be placed on the injured reserve list. If a player is set to be sidelined for longer than 24 calendar days or 10 NHL games, then a club may opt to place them on the long-term injured reserve instead. This allows franchises with the ability to exceed the salary cap while a player is placed on this reserve list.
How long does it take to recover from an ice hockey injury?
No injury recovery timeline is the same as another as there are several factors that go into the rehab process for a player being affected by injury. Factors include but are not limited to, injury severity, player injury/medical history, age, as well as the location of the injury. Some injuries are able to clear up in a matter of days, while others may take an athlete out of action for the entirety of a season.