Draisaitl takes leave of absence from Oilers; Wilson misses 6th straight game for Capitals
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Welcome to the NHL Status Report. Here is the latest lineup/injury news around the NHL.
William Nylander did not play against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday because of a lower-body injury. The Maple Leafs forward was injured in the first period of a 6-5 overtime loss at the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. Nylander, who was replaced by Calle Jarnkrok, had a goal and an assist before the injury. “Right now, I don’t expect him in today for sure, Monday (against the Minnesota Wild) probably not. I don’t know how long it’s going to be.” Nylander was playing his fourth game after missing the previous six with a lower-body injury. He leads Toronto with 48 points (17 goals, 31 assists) in 37 games this season and will represent Team Sweden at Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Leon Draisaitl is taking a leave of absence due to a family illness in his native Germany, the Oilers announced Saturday before their game at the Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, CITY). The forward is expected to return next week. Draisaitl, who will play for Germany at the Olympics, ranks fifth in the NHL with 67 points (25 goals, 42 assists) in 48 games. “Obviously we’ll miss him, but [the] job comes second,” Edmonton captain Connor McDavid said. “Everybody in here is a brother, father, son, whatever it is, and that stuff comes first and he’s got to go home and be with his family. We’re obviously thinking about him and his entire family and we’ve got to take care of things while he’s gone.”
Tom Wilson (lower body) participated in an optional morning skate but remained out of the lineup against the Florida Panthers on Saturday. The Capitals forward, who will play for Team Canada at the Olympics, missed his sixth straight game. Wilson has 42 points (22 goals, 20 assists) in 41 games. … Justin Sourdif (puck in the face) wore a regular jersey at the morning skate, but the forward missed his third straight game. … Pierre-Luc Dubois (abdominal/adductor surgery) remains in a noncontact jersey; the center is not expected back until after the Olympic break next month.
Forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand are nearing returning from injury, coach Paul Maurice said, but they remained out when the Panthers visited the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Tkachuk, who is recovering from surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia on Aug. 22, skated with Florida’s extra players Saturday morning, and Maurice said he has responded well to workouts. “He’s close,” Maurice said. “He’s getting pushed hard on the ice. He’s coming back. The recovery has been good. He hasn’t felt at a hundred percent, but the last two days he pushed hard, came back, felt good. So, I don’t think he’s very far away now.” Marchand missed his fifth straight game with an unspecified injury. Although Marchand did not skate with the Panthers’ extra players Saturday, Maurice said, “I would say [he is] fairly close, too. Neither one of those guys should be out very much longer.” After wrapping up a stretch of six consecutive road games Saturday, Florida returns home to host the San Jose Sharks on Monday (6 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, NBCSCA).
Leo Carlsson is expected to miss 3-5 weeks after the center had a procedure on Friday to treat a Morel-Lavallee lesion in his left thigh. A Morel-Lavallee lesion is a soft tissue injury that is usually caused by a high-velocity force. Carlsson left practice early on Monday and then participated in the morning skate but Carlsson did not play in the Ducks’ 3-1 victory that ended a nine-game skid (0-8-1). The 21-year-old forward leads the Ducks with 44 points (18 goals, 26 assists) in 44 games this season. He was also named to Sweden’s roster for the Olympics earlier this month. Sweden is scheduled to play its first game of the tournament against Italy on Feb. 11.
Rodrigo Abols sustained a lower-body injury in the first period of a 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday and will be sidelined. The forward was battling for a puck along the boards when he fell, his right leg twisting awkwardly underneath him at 6:10 of the first period. He was helped off the ice and went straight to the locker room, not putting any weight on his right leg. “It’s not good. I’m not going to get into it, but it’s not good,” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. Abols has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 42 games this season. … Dan Vladar (undisclosed) did not play Saturday and is considered day to day. The goalie left a 5-2 loss at the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday after the first period and was not available for a 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. Tocchet said it’s possible Vladar travels on a three-game road trip that begins at the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday. … Forward Bobby Brink (upper body) missed his sixth straight game; he skated Saturday morning and could return Monday. … Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen missed his third straight game and was placed on injured reserve; he could miss at least another week, Tocchet said. … Philadelphia recalled defenseman Hunter McDonald from Lehigh Valley of the AHL.
Jake Evans (lower body) returned against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. The forward had missed 13 games but was back at practice with injured forwards Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach on Friday. Evans has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 34 games. … Neither Laine nor Dach played; Laine had core muscle surgery in October and was expected to be out 3-4 months. Dach (broken foot) has been out since Nov. 15 and was expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek were each placed on injured reserve on Friday with a lower-body injury and did not play in a 5-4 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. Boldy, who will represent Team United States at the Olympics, had an assist in 19:16 of ice time in a 6-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. He has 51 points (27 goals, 24 assists) in 48 games for the Wild this season. Eriksson Ek, who will play for Sweden, has missed three games since he was injured during a 3-2 overtime win against the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 8. He has 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) in 45 games this season. … Marcus Johansson (undisclosed) also did not play and is not on the three-game road trip that continues at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. The forward has 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 46 games this season. … Forwards Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Hunter Haight, and defenseman David Jiricek were recalled from Iowa of the American Hockey League on Friday, and Haight and Jiricek played on Saturday.
Linus Ullmark practiced with the Senators on Friday for the first time since taking a leave of absence on Dec. 28, but there is no timeline for his return. The goalie has missed nine games. “Awesome to see. Happy that he’s back skating with the group. Just looks positive and looks good out there,” coach Travis Green said. “We’re taking it day by day.”
Teuvo Teravainen (upper body) missed his second straight game for the Blackhawks against the Boston Bruins on Saturday. There is no timeline for the forward’s return. The 31-year-old, who will represent Finland at the Olympics, has 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 45 games. … Jason Dickinson left the morning skate early, but the forward was in the lineup. … Forward Frank Nazar skated with teammates on Saturday for the first time since taking a puck to the face in the first period of a 6-4 loss to the Senators on Dec. 20. He will practice Sunday but is not expected to play against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.
Miro Heiskanen returned to practice Saturday and is expected to be back in the Stars lineup against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday (2 p.m. ET; The Spot, Victory+, NHLN, SN, TVAS). The defenseman, who will represent Finland at the Olympics, missed two games because of a family matter. Heiskanen has 36 points (seven goals, 29 assists) in 46 games and ranks third in the NHL in time on ice per game (26:04).
Michael Kesselring (lower body) returned in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Wild on Saturday. The defenseman, who had been out since Dec. 31, had no shots on goal in 10:16 of ice time. … Josh Norris (upper body) missed his second straight game; the forward is day to day since being cross-checked by Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler during a 5-2 win on Wednesday. Norris has 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 19 games.
Forward Juho Lammikko and defenseman Colton White were placed on waivers Friday. Lammikko has two assists in 22 games, and White has four assists in 23 games. Each last played in a 9-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Jan. 6.
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