Injury Notes: Wild, McDonagh, Huberdeau
The Minnesota Wild could have a few reinforcements for their upcoming game tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. According to NHL reporter Jessi Pierce, Zach Bogosian, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Marcus Johansson all took part in Minnesota’s practice this morning.
Pierce went on to indicate that both Eriksson Ek and Johansson could return to the lineup tonight. Unfortunately, Bogosian and Boldy will remain on the sidelines. In the latter’s defense, given the stipulations of putting a player on the injured reserve, Boldy would be ineligible for tonight’s contest regardless of how he feels.
The Wild could certainly use the help. After having an outstanding record through November and December, Minnesota has stalled of late, managing a 4-4-2 record in January. If Eriksson Ek and Johansson return tonight, the Wild would have two of their top four scorers back in the lineup.
Additional injury notes:
- The long-awaited return of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh is on the horizon. According to team insider Erik Erlendsson, McDonagh’s recovery timeline has been upgraded to day-to-day, and head coach Jon Cooper guaranteed that he would play before the upcoming Olympic break. Due to varying injuries, the Lightning have been without McDonagh for most of the 2025-26 campaign. The 16-year veteran has registered four goals and eight points in 18 games on the year, averaging 20 minutes of ice time per game.
- According to Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg, winger Jonathan Huberdeau will return to the lineup tomorrow night for the Calgary Flames. The former Calder Trophy winner missed the Flames’ most recent game due to a lower-body injury.
Chicago Blackhawks Activate Frank Nazar
Jan. 22nd: As expected, the Blackhawks have officially activated Nazar, per a team announcement. Chicago did not make a corresponding roster move.
Jan. 21st: The Chicago Blackhawks are on the precipice of having a fully healthy forward core. According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, the Blackhawks expected youngster Frank Nazar to return to the lineup tomorrow, meaning he’ll be activated from the injured reserve.
Chicago has an open roster spot, so they won’t need to make a corresponding roster move. Still, they already have 14 forwards, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Blackhawks swap a depth forward for a defenseman in the AHL.
Nazar, 22, has been absent from the Blackhawks’ roster for a month. After taking a puck to the face, he broke his jaw in Chicago’s December 20th matchup against the Ottawa Senators. He has been skating for the last few days and will make his official return tomorrow against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Before the injury, Nazar was having a solid junior campaign. Registering six goals and 21 points in 33 games, Nazar remains only five points away from matching last year’s totals, which took 53 games to reach. Being one of the best offensive forwards on the team, he’s earned a huge bump in ATOI this season, going from 15:52 last season to 18:15 this year.
Still, Nazar was clearly slowing down in the lead-up to the injury. The Detroit, MI native had scored five goals and 13 points in his first 17 games of the year. In the next 16 games, in which the Blackhawks had recorded a 3-11-2 record, Nazar had only registered one goal and eight points. Since he exited the lineup in late December, Chicago has improved, managing a 7-6-1 record in his absence.
Regardless, despite missing a month of action, Nazar remains tied for fourth on the team in scoring. He’s largely considered the highest-upside forward option for the Blackhawks behind Connor Bedard, and the team will hope that he can maintain his health through the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign.
Latest On Maple Leafs’ Defense
In last night’s loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the Toronto Maple Leafs suffered another serious blow on defense, losing Oliver Ekman-Larsson partway through the game to a lower-body injury. Earlier today, on TSN’s Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun posited that Ekman-Larsson is expected to miss some time. Still, there’s no concern about his availability for Team Sweden at the Olympics.
As bad as it is to lose your highest-scoring defenseman, that’s not the only injury Toronto’s defensive core suffered last night. According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, there is concern from the Maple Leafs that Brandon Carlo is also suffering from an ailment. Carlo only recently returned from a foot injury that cost him two months of the 2025-26 campaign.
Factoring in the long-term groin injury to Chris Tanev, Toronto may be without 75% of the top-four of their defensive core for the foreseeable future. Few teams would be able to absorb that many losses, and it couldn’t come at a worse time for the Maple Leafs, who currently sit one point back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Still, although the team has yet to provide an update on the status of Ekman-Larsson or Carlo, LeBrun indicated on Insider Trading that the new injuries have motivated the Maple Leafs to increase their efforts to acquire a defenseman.
LeBrun specifically mentioned Dougie Hamilton of the New Jersey Devils and Luke Schenn of the Winnipeg Jets as likely options. Each defenseman has been linked to the Maple Leafs rather significantly over the last few weeks.
Still, there are a few reasons for pause. It’s not to suggest that Toronto couldn’t use an outside acquisition to bolster its defensive core, but desperation typically leads to overpayment. That’s not something the Maple Leafs can afford to do with so little prospect and draft capital.
Furthermore, the possibility of a Hamilton trade in the near future has taken a steep decline over the last few days. New Jersey recently lost defenseman Luke Hughes for the next month or more with a shoulder separation, opening a spot in the top four for Hamilton. As long as Hughes remains out, the Devils will be less inclined to move Hamilton despite the perceived benefits of doing so.
Meanwhile, it’s not obvious that Schenn would be a significant upgrade over Toronto’s other options. He’s had a disappointing year with the Jets, scoring one goal and six points in 35 games, averaging 13:51 of ice time per game. Furthermore, his defensive metrics have declined, showing a CorsiFor% of 45.2% and an on-ice SV% of 89.2% at even strength.
It’s clear that the Maple Leafs will need to bring in some help at any rate. Toronto has seven more games until the upcoming Olympic break, and their record over that stretch could have significant ramifications for the rest of the season.
Senators’ David Perron Out Five To Seven Weeks
The Ottawa Senators have lost one of their veteran forwards until the end of February at the very least. Relayed from TSN’s Bruce Garrioch, head coach Travis Green told reporters today that winger David Perron would miss the next five to seven weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia.
Perron’s recovery timeline indicates that he will return well after the upcoming Olympic break. On the earlier side, he could return as soon as Ottawa’s February 26th matchup against the Detroit Red Wings. If it takes closer to seven weeks for him to return, his absence could extend until the middle of March.
Regardless, it’s the second consecutive year that Perron has dealt with a significant injury. During his first season with the Senators, Perron missed two months due to a back injury shortly after he returned from a family medical emergency. He finished the campaign with nine goals and 16 points in 43 games.
Healthy to start the 2025-26 campaign, Perron has been a solid tertiary contributor to the Senators. Largely in a middle-six role, the 37-year-old winger has scored 10 goals and 25 points in 49 games, averaging 13:26 of ice time per game. Additionally, he’s been productive on the defensive side of the puck, managing a 53.5% CorsiFor% and 90.6% on-ice SV% at even strength.
Fortunately, because of the Winter Olympics, Perron doesn’t stand to lose as much time as he otherwise could have. Despite being out for over a month, the expected recovery timeline projects him to miss anywhere from eight to 15 games.
The injury will certainly have implications regarding Perron’s future in Ottawa or elsewhere. At his age, suffering major injuries in back-to-back years can invoke career-ending ramifications. Being a pending unrestricted free agent, Perron will have some work to do upon his return to ensure that there’s interest in him next summer.
Bruins Assign Jordan Harris To AHL On Conditioning Loan
The Boston Bruins are nearing a fully healthy defensive core. Earlier today, the Bruins announced that they’ve assigned defenseman Jordan Harris to the AHL’s Providence Bruins on a conditioning loan.
Harris, 25, is in his first year with his hometown team. The Haverhill, MA native signed a one-year, $825K contract with Boston last summer after being non-tendered by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Before his one-year stint with Columbus, he had spent three years with the Montreal Canadiens before being traded in 2024 for Patrik Laine and a 2026 second-round pick.
Unfortunately, his time with the Bruins hasn’t gone to plan. Due to suffering a fractured ankle in October, Harris has been limited to five appearances for Boston this season. In those five contests, Harris has registered one goal and one assist, averaging 15:38 of ice time per game.
Furthermore, unless there’s another injury, Harris may not have access to much ice time upon his return. Due to multiple injuries on the blue line, the Bruins have given Jonathan Aspirot a larger opportunity this season, and he’s run with it. He’s been a bright spot in Boston this year, achieving a +19 rating in 30 games with an exceptional 94.6% on-ice SV% at even strength. The Bruins rewarded him a little over a week ago, signing Aspirot to a two-year extension.
That may push Harris into a depth role for the rest of the campaign through no fault of his own. Assuming no additional injuries occur, Harris would become the fifth left-handed defenseman on the active roster. Still, given that the Bruins have struggled to remain healthy, primarily on defense, being limited to a depth role is far from guaranteed for Harris.
Devils Place Luke Hughes On LTIR, Recall Colton White
Jan. 21st: Confirming the reports regarding the shoulder separation, the Devils announced that they’ve placed Hughes on the long-term injured reserve. Due to the upcoming Olympic break, he won’t be eligible to return until New Jersey’s matchup on February 25th against the Buffalo Sabres. Additionally, the Devils shared that they’ve recalled Colton White, who recently cleared waivers, in Hughes’ stead.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan went on to update that Hughes will not get surgery at this point, but the young star will need to rehab, facing LTIR through the Olympic break.
Jan. 20th: The New Jersey Devils may have lost one of their best young defensemen for quite some time. According to insider Frank Seravalli, the initial diagnosis on Devils’ defenseman Luke Hughes is that he dislocated his shoulder last night against the Calgary Flames.
New Jersey is believed to be seeking a second opinion on Hughes’ injury, though the team is confident he will miss some time, which team reporter Amanda Stein confirmed after the game. The Devils won’t return to New Jersey until January 27th (they are currently on a Pacific Division road trip), so it could be some time before they publicly reveal the severity of Hughes’ injury.
Although it’s not beneficial to speculate about injuries, it’s difficult to tell from the video exactly what happened. Hughes was racing Flames forward Justin Kirkland for a loose puck, and Hughes immediately dropped his stick and clutched his right shoulder. There was no significant contact on the play.
In terms of a recovery timeline, it largely depends on the severity of the separation. A month ago, Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard suffered a dislocated shoulder against the St. Louis Blues, causing Bedard to miss 12 consecutive games. If Hughes is on pace for a similar recovery, he won’t return after the Olympic break in February.
Regardless, the Devils continue their trend of suffering long-term injuries to their high-level performers. Before going down with an injury, Hughes had scored five goals and 26 points in 48 games, averaging 23:20 of ice time per game. He was New Jersey’s leading scorer among defensemen by a healthy margin, and sat behind Dougie Hamilton in CorsiFor% at even strength.
Outside of what the injury means for Hughes specifically, it certainly won’t help the team in their efforts to climb back into the playoff conversation. Although much of the Eastern Conference has been streaky this season, the Devils have been one of the worst-performing teams since December 1st, largely nixing any idea of this simply being a “bad streak”.
In the team’s defense, few organizations would be able to sustain the number of injuries that New Jersey has suffered over the years. Regardless, their window to make the playoffs this season is quickly closing. For comparison, since December 1st, the New York Rangers, who have already punted on the 2025-26 season, have earned 20 points in the standings, whereas New Jersey has only claimed 19 with an additional game played.
Washington Capitals Activate Tom Wilson
According to Sammi Silber of DC Backcheck, the Washington Capitals have activated forward Tom Wilson from the injured reserve. Additionally, Silber shared that the team has reassigned forward Ivan Miroshnichenko to the AHL’s Hershey Bears in a corresponding roster move.
Wilson’s return has been a long time coming for the Capitals. He has resumed skating for the last several days, but Washington’s medical staff was unwilling to give a green light for his return until now.
The former Stanley Cup champion had been nursing a lower-body injury since the beginning of January. In a game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Wilson fell awkwardly into the boards after being on the receiving end of a reverse hit from defenseman Connor Murphy, seemingly hurting his ankle in the process.
Washington will warmly welcome back their leading scorer this season. Named to Team Canada for the upcoming Winter Olympics, Wilson has scored 22 goals and 42 points in 41 games for the Capitals this season with a +20 rating.
Although there is an argument for defenseman Jakob Chychrun, Wilson has been the Capitals’ most complete player this season. Besides being tied with Alex Ovechkin for the team lead in scoring, Wilson is leading Washington in hits (110) and CorsiFor% at even strength (56.8%).
Meanwhile, Miroshnichenko, 21, will return to a familiar place. The former first-round pick was originally recalled five days ago. He appeared in two games for the Capitals over that stretch, going scoreless with a +1 rating, averaging 11:16 of ice time per game.
Outside of a few appearances in the NHL this year, Miroshnichenko has continued his streak of quality play in the AHL. He’s currently eighth on the Bears in scoring with six goals and 16 points in 20 games.
East Notes: Malkin, Tanev, Robinson, Lightning
Back in June, a report from Josh Yohe of The Athletic indicated that the Pittsburgh Penguins had little interest in extending franchise icon Evgeni Malkin beyond the 2025-26 campaign. Additionally, Pittsburgh’s play-by-play voice, Josh Getzoff, shared that General Manager Kyle Dubas would meet with Malkin during the Olympic Break to discuss his future.
In a new update from Yohe, that remains the plan from the Penguins’ perspective. Yohe indicated that Malkin wants to sign a one-year extension in Pittsburgh, is willing to take a paycut on his current salary, and doesn’t want to play anywhere, regardless of whether it’s with a playoff contender or not.
He’s turned back the clock this season, scoring 10 goals and 35 points in 33 games — already 15 points away from matching last year’s totals. Additionally, in an unexpected fashion, the Penguins are remarkably competitive this season, currently in a divisional playoff spot in the Metropolitan.
Still, injury troubles have plagued Malkin in the past two years, and Pittsburgh may be more interested in moving its available dollars elsewhere. Despite their competitiveness this season, the team has already shown a willingness to move out veterans, evidenced by their trade of netminder Tristan Jarry last month. Regardless, considering they will meet in a few weeks, more will be known about Malkin’s future relatively soon.
Additional notes from the Eastern Conference:
- A few weeks ago, David Alter of The Hockey News reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs and defenseman Chris Tanev have not decided upon surgery to repair his groin injury. According to Nick Barden of The Hockey News, that remains the status quo. Barden relayed a quote from head coach Craig Berube saying, “He’s still working through things. He hasn’t got surgery yet. We’re still working through things.” Berube went on to add that Tanev is the one who is hesitant about surgery, not the Maple Leafs.
- The Carolina Hurricanes are expecting to be without one of their bottom-six forwards for the foreseeable future. The Hurricanes shared that forward Eric Robinson will be “out for an extended period [of time]” with an upper-body injury. He was seen at the rink today in a sling. Carolina will likely place the nine-year veteran on the injured reserve.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t moving anytime soon. According to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times, the Lightning have signed a six-year lease extension with Benchmark International Arena, keeping them in the stadium through the 2042-43 NHL season. Additionally, Hillsborough County has agreed to include $250MM in the agreement for arena renovations, while the organization will contribute $75MM.
Blue Jackets To Activate Mason Marchment, Isac Lundestrom
The Columbus Blue Jackets will return a pair of forwards tomorrow. Relayed from reporter Dave Maetzold, head coach Rick Bowness indicated that forwards Mason Marchment and Isac Lundeström will be activated from the injured reserve before tomorrow’s game against the Dallas Stars.
Activating both forwards will require an additional roster move by the Blue Jackets. It’ll likely come in the form of placing another player on injured reserve, rather than reassigning one to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Columbus has a few players dealing with ailments that haven’t been placed on the team’s injured reserve, including Dante Fabbro, Elvis Merzļikins, and Denton Mateychuk.
Marchment, acquired from the Seattle Kraken in December, will look to continue his hot streak with Columbus. The 30-year-old winger scored five goals and seven points in his first seven games with the Blue Jackets before succumbing to an upper-body injury at the beginning of the month. Tomorrow’s game against the Stars will be the third time he’s faced off against his former club after going scoreless in the two previous matchups.
Lundeström, 26, is in his first year with Columbus after signing a two-year contract with the club last summer. The former first-round pick has primarily served as a bottom-six center for the Blue Jackets this season, scoring one goal and five points in 35 games. He has missed the last month with a lower-body injury.
Meanwhile, outside of Miles Wood, it’ll be the first time that Bowness has had a relatively healthy forward core to work with since becoming the team’s head coach on January 12th. The team has improved since he took over, managing a 3-1-0 record. Still, Columbus has plenty of work to do to get back into the playoff conversation, currently sitting seven points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Stars Claim, Reassign Vladislav Kolyachonok
1:45 p.m.: As expected, the Stars confirmed they have claimed Kolyachonok off waivers and have reassigned him to AHL Texas.
1:35 p.m.: Defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok will return to the place where he began the 2025-26 season. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Dallas Stars have claimed Kolyachonok off waivers from the Boston Bruins.
Since the Stars are the team to land Kolyachonok, they can reassign him to the AHL’s Texas Stars without needing to place him on waivers again. This was a likely scenario given that AHL Texas needs some veteran presence on its blue line.
This need was largely generated from injuries to Dallas’ defensive core. Due to multiple absences, the Stars have had to use Kyle Capobianco and Alexander Petrovic more than they were likely expecting, creating a significant gap on the AHL roster.
Although there’s an argument to be made that Kolyachonok should remain in the NHL for the time being, it’s easier for Dallas to reassign him rather than Capobianco or Petrovic, given that he’s ineligible for waivers with them specifically. Assuming he is reassigned to the AHL, Kolyachonok will look to improve upon the three assists in 10 games he’s already scored this season.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t had a truly impactful offensive season in the AHL in some time. During the 2022-23 campaign, with the Tucson Roadrunners, Kolyachonok scored three goals and 21 points in 71 games, and hasn’t gotten near those totals since.
Since then, he’s split his time between the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes, Utah Hockey Club, Pittsburgh Penguins, Stars, and Bruins, scoring four goals and 14 points in 53 games, averaging 12:51 of ice time per game. If the Stars recall him to the NHL again this season, he’ll have a 10-game window to play, or 30 days on the roster, before he’s eligible for waivers again.