Top 10 NHL players looking to bounce back from injuries in 2025-26

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis(sellishockey)
Sep 25, 2025, 10:30 EDTUpdated: Sep 25, 2025, 10:47 EDT
Top 10 NHL players looking to bounce back from injuries in 2025-26
Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

It can hurt having to watch your team play without you – both figuratively and literally.

Sure, they can offset the pain by counting their paychecks at home. But these are professionals, and they want nothing more than to be celebrating victories with their teammates. So, missing extended periods of time can be a huge motivating factor for a player to come back strong once they’re back to full health.

For all 10 players on this list, they missed significant time in 2024-25 for one reason or another. They’ll be looking to bounce back in a big way and, hopefully, regain their status as impactful players like they once were in the past.

Here are 10 skaters who missed at least 25 games last year who are hoping to turn things around in 2025-26:

Hampus Lindholm, D (Boston Bruins)

It was a bad year to be a Lindholm in Massachusetts. Elias Lindholm had one of the worst seasons of his career, while Hampus missed 65 games due to knee surgery. Lindholm set a personal best of 10 goals and 53 points in 80 games with the Bruins in 2022-23, but fell well short of that in 2023-24 with just 26. He started last year off well while playing over 21 minutes a night in most games. But after leaving a game against St. Louis in Nov. 12, that was it for the year. Lindholm should return to Boston’s top four with a shot to anchor the second power-play unit again if all goes well.

Gabriel Landeskog, LW (Colorado Avalanche)

2024-25 regular season games missed: 82

When Landeskog said he wanted to return to the NHL in 2024-25 after missing three full regular seasons, most didn’t believe him. But he was impactful right out of the gate, scoring a goal and adding three assists in five playoff games against Dallas. The Avalanche ultimately didn’t move on, but the fact that he played between 18-20 minutes in three of those five games showed how much coach Jared Bednar believed in the team’s captain. The 32-year-old Swede looks healthy and ready to go, giving the Avalanche a strong power forward in the top six. Landeskog has never been a massive point producer, but he proved he can get between 55-65 points quite easily. He hasn’t played more than 70 NHL games since 2018-19, so don’t be surprised if the Avalanche eases him in this year. Still, it’s great to see him back.

Tyler Seguin, RW (Dallas Stars)

2024-25 regular season games missed: 60

Seguin only played 20 regular-season games last year due to hip surgery, but he made them count with 21 points. His production was a bit more muted in the Stanley Cup playoffs with just eight points in 19 games (he had three against Edmonton in Game 1), but it was still good to see him back on the ice and making things happen on the third line. Seguin appears ready to go again this year, and while it’s tough to truly trust his health at this point, he can still play some effective hockey. We’ll see if the time off after the playoff exit allowed him to get used to his hip again.

Drew Doughty, D (Los Angeles Kings)

2024-25 regular season games missed: 52

An ankle fracture prevented Doughty from starting the year in the NHL, but the Kings didn’t wait to ease him in. He played 23 minutes in his NHL debut and played over 25 minutes in four of his six games before joining Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Doughty finished the season with 17 points in 30 games, which wasn’t too shabby given he had to essentially save Los Angeles’ playoff hopes. At his best, Doughty can still be a high-end defenseman. Elite? No, but good enough to be in the hunt for Canada’s Olympic team. The Kings have a… rough-looking blueline, to say the least. But a big bounce-back year for Doughty could lessen the blow.

Joel Eriksson Ek, C (Minnesota Wild)

2024-25 regular season games missed: 36

JEEk really came into his own in 2022-23, registering his first of now two 60-plus point seasons. But all that progress was ultimately washed away last season when he had just 14 goals and 29 points in 46 games. He missed 11 games with a lower-body injury midway through the season and another 21 near the end, and he simply didn’t look the same in the playoffs. At 28, he’s still relatively young, and he’s physically dominant, too. A fully rested Eriksson Ek should be dangerous, especially if his linemate and pending UFA Kirill Kaprizov goes on a heater.

Kirby Dach, C (Montreal Canadiens)

2024-25 regular season games missed: 25

The Canadiens didn’t do anything to address their center depth this summer. Like last year, Dach is expected to return as the No. 2 middleman. In theory, he’s more than capable of handling that role. But he has only played 70 games once in his career, and has just 117 games to his credit in three years with Montreal – missing 129. Of note, though, he did put up 38 points in 58 games in 2022-23 – a 54-point pace over a full 82-game season. Something like that would be truly remarkable. If Dach can stay healthy, that’s great. It’s just hard to feel confident about that right now.

Roman Josi, D (Nashville Predators)

2024-25 regular season games: 29

In an interview with Swiss news outlet, Blick, a few months back, Josi revealed he had been diagnosed with Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) – a condition that can lead to a number of symptoms from lying down to standing up. Fortunately, the 35-year-old is back at training camp and looks ready to kick off 2025-26 as Nashville’s captain for the ninth season. Josi missed out on the Norris Trophy two years ago despite putting up 85 points, and his play ultimately suffered a bit in 2024-25. Still, he’s one of the best defenders in the Western Conference and should be a driving force for Nashville as the team looks to get back into the playoff conversation. His best days are definitely behind him, but hopefully Josi is still capable of good hockey.

Mathew Barzal, C (New York Islanders)

2024-25 regular season games missed: 52

Barzal told Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin that he’s 100 percent ready to go after missing 52 games due to various injuries. He was able to return to the lineup, but with the team out of the playoff picture, both parties elected to let him rest a little further. Barzal should return to his spot as New York’s No. 1 center, likely alongside Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri. That’s not much of a burner line, but it’s something – and the Isles are focused on the future. But Barzal thrived with 80 points just two years ago – if he stays healthy, it’ll be interesting to see if he can find his form again.

Jordan Eberle, RW (Seattle Kraken)

2024-25 regular season games missed: 40

The Kraken had a rough campaign, and while Eberle wouldn’t have done much to change that, he would have likely hit 50 points, which wouldn’t have hurt. The 35-year-old has been consistent throughout the season, but it’ll be interesting to see how he does in a full season after pelvic surgery. Eberle will likely start the year in the top six as usual, but it’ll be interesting to see who’ll be his center. Seattle won’t make the playoffs in 2025-26, but Eberle – a pending UFA – could become an interesting trade chip a few months down the line as he chases his first Stanley Cup.

Sean Durzi, D (Utah Mammoth)

2024-25 regular season games missed: 52

Durzi had a breakout 41-point campaign with the Arizona Coyotes in 2023-24 and was expected to continue with that momentum into 2024-25. Utah bolstered its blueline heading into the season, but Durzi was expected to remain a key piece of the puzzle. Instead, he put up 11 points in 30 games before missing 52 games due to right shoulder surgery. The 26-year-old is an exciting young defender who can control the pace of play. And for the most part, he had stayed relatively healthy over his pro career. Let’s see if he can continue playing over 20 minutes a night like he did when he returned to the lineup to close out the season – their second power-play unit can definitely use him.

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