Lower body, exits early.
Sustained a lower-body injury and won't return to Thursday's game versus the Senators.
Analysis: MacKinnon was hurt in the second period and ruled out at the start of the third. The superstar center was held off the scoresheet for the third time in his last four games prior to his early exit. Cale Makar (lower body) was also injured in the contest, leaving the Avalanche's roster in crisis mode ahead of Saturday's game in Montreal.
Lower body, departs thursday's contest.
Won't return to Thursday's game versus the Jets.
Analysis: Bichsel was injured in the first period after a collision in front of the net. The 22-year-old defenseman can be considered day-to-day for now. The Stars are already missing Miro Heiskanen (upper body) and Kyle Capobianco (leg) from the blue line, so the team may need a roster move if Bichsel misses time.
Slated starter.
Expected to start at home against St. Louis.
Analysis: Vejmelka has gone 0-3-0 with a 3.80 GAA and an .845 save percentage over his past three starts. He has a 6-6-0 record, 3.29 GAA and .867 save percentage in 13 outings in 2026-27. St. Louis has an 8-8-2 record and is tied for 20th in goals per game with 2.94 this campaign.
Lower body, not playing.
Won't play Thursday versus the Blues.
Analysis: Schmaltz won't play after leaving Wednesday's game versus the Golden Knights. Look for Ben McCartney to play in a fourth-line role in this contest. Schmaltz is considered day-to-day, and it's unclear if he'll suit up versus the Sharks on Saturday.
Slated to face Buffalo.
Expected to start at home against Buffalo on Wednesday, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Analysis: Knight has lost his past four outings while allowing 17 goals on 103 shots (.835 save percentage). That slump has dropped him to 4-10-0 with a 3.66 GAA and an .881 save percentage in 14 appearances this season. The Sabres are 8-7-3 while averaging 2.94 goals per game this season, which makes Buffalo a fairly middling adversary based on the squad's 2026-27 results.
Will miss Thursday's game versus the Blue Jackets, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports. Per the Lightning, Cirelli is dealing with a lower-body injury.
Analysis: Cirelli got banged up Wednesday versus the Sabres, and he'll need to miss at least one game. His absence further depletes the Lightning's center depth, which is already thin due to Brayden Point's undisclosed injury. Sam O'Reilly will handle a larger role Thursday, while Gage Goncalves should be back in the lineup after a healthy scratch.