Jack Hughes to miss 3rd straight game for Devils, Thompson expected to start for Capitals on Thursday
© Winslow Townson/Getty Images
Welcome to the NHL Status Report. Here is the latest lineup/injury news around the NHL.
Kiefer Sherwood will make his Sharks debut at the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday (9 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, ALT). The forward was acquired in a trade from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 19 but hasn’t played since Jan. 10 because of an undisclosed injury. “I’ve been itching for a while and just hoping to try to get back before the before the break; I want to get to know the guys a little bit on the ice,” Sherwood said after the morning skate. “Obviously, it’s one thing off the ice; they’ve been extremely welcoming and excited. So, I’m just excited to try to feed them and, yeah, just add to the joy that they come in the rink with every day.” Sherwood had 23 points (17 goals, six assists), in 44 games prior to the trade. He can become an unrestricted free agent July 1. “We went and acquired him for a reason, and I think we need to get him in the mix with our group here a little bit,” San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “When we first got him, he obviously wasn’t healthy enough, and now that he’s checked a lot of boxes for us to get him in the lineup … we just felt like this is a good opportunity, with [Ryan Reaves] banged up, to get him in.” Reaves, a forward, was placed on injured reserve Tuesday; he is day to day with an upper-body injury.
Jack Hughes (lower body) will miss his third straight game when the Devils host the New York Islanders on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN2, MSGSN). The forward, who was named to Team USA’s roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, was injured during the first period of a 3-2 overtime win against the Nashville Predators on Jan. 29. New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe was unsure if Hughes skated Wednesday after he shot pucks on his own Tuesday. “Jack is just not improved enough to the point that our medical team will let him get out there, so he’s not going to be available for tomorrow,” Keefe said after practice. “Based on what they’ve told me, they’re not concerned about [him missing the Olympics]. He’s in the day-to-day category, and it just so happens we don’t have a lot of days left here. I don’t even know exactly what the schedule is when they go over there, but I don’t think they have any concern at this point.” Hughes has 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) in 36 games. … Forwards Nico Hischier and Connor Brown did not practice (maintenance) but are expected to play Thursday.
Go deep with NHL.com’s full coverage of the men’s hockey action at the Olympic Winter Games
Logan Thompson (upper body) is expected to start against the Predators on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, MNMT), the Capitals’ final game before the Olympic break. The goalie skated on Tuesday but missed his fourth straight game, a 4-2 loss at the Philadelphia Flyers. “That’s the expectation, that he’s going to come back and play against Nashville at home,” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said Tuesday. “So, today was another positive step.” Thompson, who will represent Team Canada at the Olympics, hasn’t played since Jan. 27, making 27 saves in a 5-1 loss at the Seattle Kraken. … Pierre-Luc Dubois also skated Tuesday, and Carbery said the forward continues to progress well in his recovery from surgery he had Nov. 7 to address issues with his abdominal and adductor muscles. Carbery said Dubois, who has been out since Oct. 31, remains on target to return after the Olympic break. “That’s always been the goal, right round there,” Carbery said. “He is progressing really well, in full-contact stuff now. So, we’ll continue to assess him over the next couple days.”
Nick Foligno returned for the Blackhawks against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. The forward and Chicago captain played 1:18 before leaving with an undisclosed injury in a 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 29 and missed a 4-2 loss to the Blue Jackets on Friday. Foligno has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 32 games this season. … Spencer Knight started after the goalie did not practice Tuesday for maintenance purposes.
Jesper Wallstedt and Marcus Foligno are each battling an illness and did not travel with the Wild for their game at Nashville on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; FDSNWIX, FDSNNO, FDSNSO), their finale before the Olympics. Wallstedt is 14-5-4 with a 2.72 goals-against average, .914 save percentage and four shutouts in 23 games. With Wallstedt unavailable, Filip Gustavsson will start Wednesday; both of Minnesota’s goalies will represent Team Sweden at the Olympics. Foligno, a forward, has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 46 games.
Mikey Anderson will not play against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET; FDSNW, KHN/Prime, KING 5, KONG). The defenseman is day to day with an upper-body injury he sustained during a 3-2 overtime loss at the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. Anderson, who has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 54 games this season, was injured on his first shift from a check by Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook, who received a boarding penalty.
Hockey News