Dahlin missed the Sabres morning skate Wednesday and was announced a game-time decision Thursday vs. Boston. The 23-year-old superstar has been enjoying yet another strong start to his 2023-24 season, with six goals, 21 points, 66 SOG, 20 PIMs and a -10 plus/minus over 26 games prior to his recent injury.
Rust left the Penguins' previous game vs. Tampa in the third period after just 12:03 TOI due to a lower-body injury and was not at practice Thursday. If he is forced to miss time it will be a massive loss for the Penguins as the 31-year-old is having the best statistical season of his 10 year career with 10 goals, 10 assists, 71 SOG, four PIMs and a +13 plus/minus in 22 games prior to this latest injury.
Smith missed the Predators' previous game due to illness but will draw back into the lineup Thursday vs. Tampa Bay as Tyson Barrie returns to being a healthy scratch. The 28-year-old left-winger is having the best season of his young career thus far with four goals, five assists, 29 SOG, 28 PIMs and a +2 plus/minus in 24 games played.
Burakovsky has not played since October 21st, missing 20 games with an upper-body injury, but is expected to make his long-awaited return to the lineup on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils. Burakovsky had two points (0G / 2A) in six games before his injury and will likely slot in on the second line with Jared McCann and Alexander Wennberg.
Byram only played 14:52 in the last game for the Avalanche, exiting with an upper-body injury, but has been deemed fit to play on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets. Byram had an elevated role in the last two games with Makar out of the lineup but will return to his usual spot alongside Josh Manson on the second defensive pair for the Avalanche.
Makar did not play on Sunday after exiting Saturday's contest late in the third period with a lower-body injury and missed a second game on Tuesday. He was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and has been cleared to return to the lineup on Thursday when the Avs play host to the Jets. Makar has been otherworldly from the Avalanche blueline this season, scoring 34 points (7G / 27A) and a +18 plus/minus through 23 games.
Dermott joins Sean Durzi (lower-body) as game-time decisions for the Coyotes' blue line ahead of their Thursday night matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. Dermott has not played since November 7th, when he recorded one assist and fired three shots on goal in a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken.
Durzi exited Monday's game against the Washington Capitals with a lower-body injury in the first period. Despite playing only 4:02 time-on-ice, Durzi recorded a point (0G / 1A), snapping a seven-game pointless skid. Durzi and Travis Dermott (hand) will both be game-time decisions for the Coyotes on Thursday.
Andrew Peeke will fill in for Gudbranson again as he will miss his second consecutive game. Gudbranson has played 26 games for the Blue Jackets this season, scoring nine points (2G / 7A), averaging 19:47 time-on-ice, and registering a -11 plus/minus.
Glass will miss his ninth straight game, out of the lineup since November 20th, but appears to be nearing a return after returning to practice on Thursday. Glass, the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, has only one point (0G / 1A) in nine games this season, averaging 13:46 time-on-ice.
Carrier will miss his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury but appears to be nearing a return after participating at practice on Thursday. Before his injury, Carrier was a steadying presence on the Predators' blue line, averaging 18:08 time-on-ice and scoring eight points (1G / 7A) in 22 games.
Novak has not played since November 11th, battling an upper-body injury, but is expected to make his return on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Before his injury, Novak had 12 points (6G/ 6A), averaged 16:02 time-on-ice, and played predominantly on a line with Kiefer Sherwood and Luke Evangelista.
Brandon Bussi will likely serve as the Bruins' backup on Thursday as Swayman is dealing with an illness. Swayman's absence from the lineup shouldn't linger much longer, which is great news for the Bruins since he has been tremendous lately, saving 50 of the last 51 shots he has faced (.980 SV%) during a two-game winning streak.
Compher has been a scarce participant at practice for the Red Wings lately and will not play on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. Compher is having a tremendous season in his first year with the Red Wings, scoring 19 points (6G / 13A) in 24 games but averaging only 1.3 shots on goal per game. Joe Veleno is expected to replace Compher, centring a second line with Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane in his season debut.
Laine was a late scratch on Tuesday due to illness and will not play again on Thursday as he did not travel with the team for the matchup against the New York Islanders. Laine is still playing well below his expectations but has started to right the ship with three points (2G / 1A) in his last four games. Kiril Marchenko and Adam Fantilli found themselves on the Blue Jackets' top powerplay unit in Laine's absence last game.
Forbort would first be eligible to return on December 31st when the Bruins visit the Detroit Red Wings as the veteran defenceman nurses an undisclosed injury. Forbort has primarily played this season skating alongside Kevin Shattenkirk. Mason Lohrei has been recalled from the Providence Bruins of the AHL in the interim.
Kreider is dealing with a lower-body concern that kept him from practising on Thursday. Kreider has not missed any time but only has two points (1G / 1A) in his last five games and eight shots on goal. He has also seen his hit production decrease significantly this season, averaging only 0.88 hits per game, the least since his rookie season when he averaged 1.57 hits per game.
Goodrow played only 2:58 time-on-ice on Tuesday, did not participate in practice Thursday, and is considered day-to-day ahead of the Rangers' next game on Saturday against the Washington Capitals. Goodrow has one point in his last seven games (0G / 1A) playing primarily alongside Jimmy Vesey and Tyler Pitlick.
Sillinger has been playing some of his best hockey of late but is considered week-to-week after he was placed on the Injured Reserve Wednesday with an upper-body injury. The 20-year-old is in his third NHL season and has a goal, eight assists, 42 SOG, 15 PIMs and a -6 plus/minus in 24 games so far this season.
Boqvist's bad luck continued Wednesday as it was announced that he would be placed on the Injured Reserve due to a shoulder strain and is expected to miss up to four weeks. The 23-year-old is in his fifth NHL season, yet has never played more than 52 games in any year due to injury and will follow the similar trend in 2023-24 as he heads to the IR. He had struggled through 13 games prior to the injury, with only three assists, 14 SOG and a +3 plus/minus.
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.
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.
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.
