Hartman was scratched Thursday vs. the Canadiens and will miss his second straight game on Saturday. The Wild rolled with seven defensemen to replace Hartman vs. Montreal, but Jake Lucchini will make his Wild debut in his spot on Saturday.
Spurgeon was on the ice for the Wild's morning skate but will miss his sixth straight game on Saturday. With Spurgeon still sidelined, Dakota Mermis will remain on the Wild blueline. Expect Spurgeon to return shortly after the Christmas break.
Bastian, who took a maintenance day yesterday, was on the ice for the Devils' optional morning skate, but they are still unsure of his status for Saturday's game vs. the Red Wings. If he's unavailable, look for Chris Tierney to draw back into the Devils lineup.
Gauthier missed the Islanders' previous game Thursday due to an upper-body injury but appears ready to go on Saturday vs. Carolina. The 26-year-old is off to the most productive start of his five-year career, with two goals, five points, 19 SOG and. four PIMs in 14 games played prior to his injury.
Lehkonen has not yet been cleared for contact, but his presence, skating at practice, is a promising sign for a team without him for 21 games. Before his injury, Lehkonen had eight points (3G / 5A) in 12 games, averaging 18:30 time-on-ice, playing predominantly alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, including top powerplay deployment. Valeri Nischushkin has been the main benefactor, occupying Lehkonen's offensive deployment, scoring 24 points (13G / 11A) in 19 games since.
Grzelcyk played only 13:35 in the Bruins' last game before exiting with an undisclosed injury. The 29-year-old defenseman has failed to record a point in 13 consecutive games and has only one point (1G / 0A) through 20 games this season. Mason Lohrei will draw into the lineup in the interim.
Steven Lorentz will be a healthy scratch on Saturday, allowing Lundell to return to the lineup after missing four games battling an illness. Lundell has 12 points (2G / 10A) in 22 games this season, most recently playing on a line with Evan Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen.
Kurashev was a late scratch on Monday but returned to practice on Thursday and will play on Friday against the Montreal Canadiens. Kurashev is averaging nearly 20 minutes per night over his last four games, collecting three points (1G / 2A) and six shots on goal. Cole Guttman is expected to be a healthy scratch for the Blackhawks.
Tinordi has not played since December 5th, missing seven games due to a concussion, but will return to the lineup on Friday against the Montreal Canadiens. Before his injury, Tinordi had one point (0G / 1A), 21 blocks, and 32 hits in 12 games this season. Wyatt Kaiser and Filip Roos will both be healthy scratches on the blue line for the Blackhawks.
Rutta did not play on Tuesday due to an illness and was be a game-time decision on Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes. He has five points (0G / 5A) in 26 games while averaging 18:56 time-on-ice.
Addison did not play on Tuesday, missing his first game since joining the Sharks earlier this year due to a lower-body injury, and was a game-time decision on Thursday. In 19 games with the Sharks, Addison has six points (1G / 5A), averaging 18:03 time-on-ice, including significant powerplay deployment.
McTavish has missed the last seven games for the Ducks but will return to action on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. Before his injury, McTavish was held without a point in four straight games, recording a -7 plus/minus and six shots on goal.
Drysdale has not played since October 15th due to a lower-body injury but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. Drysdale has struggled to stay healthy during his young NHL career, but the 21-year-old has 42 points (7G / 35A) in 115 career games and has the offensive pedigree that could make him a staple on the powerplay for the Ducks.
Makar has struggled to stay in the lineup lately, playing only four of the last nine games for Colorado, and was a game-time decision after being a full participant at practice on Thursday. Makar is among the league leaders for defensemen, scoring 37 points (8G / 29A) in 27 games this season.
Hartman was a late scratch for Thursday's game, with the Wild only announcing his absence 30 minutes before puck drop. Hartman has nine goals and six assists in 27 games this season.
Hart was originally reported to be starting Tuesday but ultimately remained out for a fourth-straight game due to illness. The 25-year-old returned to practice Monday but was deemed not fit to return on Tuesday even though he was a full participant. When he does return between the pipes, he will look to build off his 9-6-1 record, 2.42 GAA and .919 SV%.
Greenway has only played two of the last 14 games for the Sabres due to an upper-body injury dating back to November 24th. The 6'6 power forward was a full participant at practice on Wednesday and will return to the lineup on Thursday. He has seven points (2G / 5A), averaging 16:24 time-on-ice while playing predominantly with Casey Mittelstadt and Zach Benson this season.
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.
