Nic Dowd (lower body) was activated from the injured reserve Friday and will draw back into the Capitals' lineup.
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NHL Injury Report
Anthony Mantha (upper body) has been placed on the inured reserve.
Mantha scored two goals in the Capitals' previous game vs. Florida but was forced to leave after 12:58 TOI due to an upper-body injury and has been placed on the injured reserve Friday. The 29-year-old right-winger has started off slow yet again in 2023-24, with his three goals, one assist, 12 SOG, four PIMs and a +1 plus/minus in 10 games played.
Jake McCabe (groin) will return to the Maple Leafs' lineup Friday vs. Calgary.
McCabe has been out of the lineup since suffering a groin injury after playing only 10 seconds against the Dallas Stars on October 26th. Before his injury, McCabe was averaging 19:33 time-on-ice per night. He is expected to slot onto the Maple Leafs' second defensive pair alongside Mark Giordano just as John Klingberg exits the lineup with an undisclosed injury.
John Klingberg (undisclosed) is dealing with an injury and will miss Friday vs. Calgary.
Klingberg, previously believed to be a healthy scratch on Friday, will now be out of the lineup to tend to an undisclosed injury. Despite frequent deployment with the Maple Leafs top powerplay unit, Klingberg has failed to record a point in his last seven games, registering a -6 plus/minus rating.
Dylan Cozens (upper body) will return to the Sabres' lineup Friday after a two-game absence.
Cozens has not played since November 3rd, when he suffered an upper-body injury in a fight with Philadelphia Flyer Garnet Hathaway. Prior to his injury, Cozens was in the midst of a dry spell, being held pointless in three consecutive games. He is expected to return to a top-six role and top-powerplay designation.
Tomas Nosek (lower body) skated Friday and is expected to return Friday vs. Washington.
Nosek has missed the last 10 games with a lower-body injury and is slated to make his return on Friday. In two games this season, Nosek was held without a point, averaging 12:10 time-on-ice. He is expected to play on a line with Erik Haula and Curtis Lazar.
The Coyotes have announced Dermott is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
Dermott has an assist, 13 SOG, six PIMs and a -4 plus/minus through 10 games played so far this season. The 26-year-old is in his seventh NHL season but missed 71 games in 2022-23 due to injury. Michael Kesselring was recalled from Tucson (AHL) in a corresponding move.
Faksa (upper-body) will play against the Blue Jackets on Thursday.
Faksa has not played since October 30th but will return on Thursday after being a full participant in the Stars' last two practices. Faksa has zero points, averaging 13:24 time-on-ice through seven games this season.
Duchene (upper-body) will play against the Blue Jackets on Thursday.
Duchene exited the Stars' Saturday night contest against the Vancouver Canucks late in the second period and did not return, ultimately missing the teams' Monday game against the Boston Bruins. Before his injury, Duchene was in the midst of a five-game point streak, tallying five points (2G / 3A) and seems to be finding his stride with the Stars.
Pelech (lower-body) will not play in Boston on Thursday.
Pelech did not play on Saturday because of an undisclosed injury and he was a game-time decision for Tuesday's game against the Wild before ultimately being cleared to play. Pelech has registered one assist, 22 blocked shots, and 12 hits in ten games this season. The Islanders say Pelech is day-to-day with the lower-body injury.
Horvat (undisclosed) will play in Boston on Thursday.
Horvat did not play on Tuesday and was officially listed as a game-time decision on Thursday against the Boston Bruins. Heis averaging 19:43 time-on-ice this season and has nine points (4G / 5A) through 10 games.
Lauko (upper-body) will not play against the Islanders on Thursday.
Lauko unfortunately took a skate to the face vs. Chicago on October 24th and has missed the last six games before being activated from the injured reserve Thursday. The 23-year-old centre had struggled prior to his injury, as he is pointless with six SOG, six PIMs and a -4 plus/minus through six games so far this season.
Forbort (lower-body) is on the ice for warmups and is expected to play against the Islanders on Thursday.
Forbort has been out of the lineup since October 30th with a lower-body injury and was a game-time decision Thursday vs. Boston. In eight games this season, Forbort has two points (0G / 2A), 16 hits, and 13 blocks. Forbort would be a welcome addition on Thursday to a Bruins defensive core that is without Charlie McAvoy (suspension) and Matt Grzelcyk (upper-body).
Zub (concussion) will play against the Canucks on Thursday.
Zub has not played since October 21st due to an upper-body injury and was a game-time decision Thursday vs. Vancouver. In four games this season, Zub has scored three points (1G / 2A), eight hits, and nine blocks while averaging 17:57 time-on-ice.
Jason Zucker (lower body) is expected to return to the Coyotes' lineup Thursday vs. St. Louis.
Zucker was signed to a one-year, $5,300,000 million contract in the offseason but missed the last seven games due to a lower-body injury but is expected to make his Coyotes' debut Thursday vs. St. Louis. The 31-year-old left-winger has two goals, 14 SOG, six PIMs and a +1 plus/minus in five games so far prior to his injury.
Trevor van Riemsdyk (lower body) has been placed on the injured reserve.
van Riemsdyk missed the Capitals' game Wednesday due to a lower-body injury and has been placed on the injured reserve Thursday. The 32-year-old has struggled out of the gate thus far in 2023-24, with no goals, an assist, 11 SOG, two PIMs and a -2 plus/minus through 10 games played.
Artem Zub (concussion) will be a game-time decision Thursday vs. Vancouver.
Zub has not played since October 21st due to an upper-body injury and will be a game-time decision Thursday vs. Vancouver. In four games this season, Zub has scored three points (1G / 2A), eight hits, and nine blocks while averaging 17:57 time-on-ice.
Connor Brown skated Thursday but is still day-to-day with a soft tissue injury.
Brown has missed the Oilers' last two games due to a soft-tissue injury and is still considered day-to-day even though he skated Thursday. The 29-year-old signed a one-year, $4 million contract in the offseason but has been a massive disappointment as he is yet to collect a point through nine games but has 13 SOG, and a -5 plus/minus.
Morgan Geekie (upper body) has been placed on the injured reserve.
Geekie finished Monday night's contest against the Dallas Stars but suffered an upper-body injury at some point that will keep him out of the lineup on a week-to-week basis and has been placed on the injured reserve. Geekie is averaging a career-high 14:15 time-on-ice through 12 games this season, tallying three points (1G / 2A). The Bruins, who have several long-term injuries at the moment, will hope to welcome back Jakub Lauko in the near future.
Jakub Lauko (upper body) has been activated from the injured reserve.
Lauko unfortunately took a skate to the face vs. Chicago on October 24th and has missed the last six games but has been activated from the injured reserve Thursday. The 23-year-old centre had struggled prior to his injury, as he is pointless with six SOG, six PIMs and a -4 plus/minus through six games so far this season. He will be a game-time decision Thursday vs. the New York Islanders.
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.