10/01 Injury Updates and the Ripple Effect: Barzal, Rust, Fiala among those out with no timeline of yet

The headline absences: Mathew Barzal (NYI, Knee, IR, back no earlier than Oct 6); Jake Sanderson (OTT, Undisclosed, day-to-day); Bryan Rust (PIT, Upper body, IR, back no earlier than Oct 5); Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (EDM, Lower body, Out, back no earlier than Oct 13); Matt Duchene (DAL, Lower body, IR, back no earlier than Oct 3).

Return watch

Every fantasy-relevant absence, by projected points for the season. "Back no earlier than" is the earliest date in the written timeline; the games are the team's games from today until then, and the weeks are the Monday-to-Sunday scoring weeks they fall in.

Who is filling in now

From each team's most recent regular-season game, derived from the shift charts: the player now in the absent player's seat on the projected chart before the injury, and what that seat gave him against his own usual (this season once he has five games, otherwise last season).

Mathew Barzal (NYI) was on the first line and the first power-play unit of the projected chart on Sep 22. In NYI's last game (Sep 30 at TOR):

• Matias Maccelli took his place on the first power-play unit, 62% of NYI's power play (5:33 of 9:01), against a usual 42% (71 games, 2025-26); he played line 2 with Calum Ritchie and Brayden Schenn; 17:39 of ice time against a usual 14:34.
• Simon Holmstrom moved into his even-strength seat, line 1 with Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri; 20:17 of ice time against a usual 16:44.

Bryan Rust (PIT) was on the third line and the first power-play unit of the projected chart on Sep 27. In PIT's last game (Sep 30 at PHI):

• Egor Chinakhov took his place on the first power-play unit, 72% of PIT's power play (5:01 of 6:55), against a usual 28% (72 games, 2025-26); he played line 2 with Evgeni Malkin and Tommy Novak; 16:58 of ice time against a usual 13:29.

Kevin Fiala (LAK) was on the second line and the first power-play unit of the projected chart on Sep 22. In LAK's last game (Sep 30 at COL):

• Quinton Byfield took his place on the first power-play unit, 55% of LAK's power play (4:51 of 8:52), against a usual 46% (79 games, 2025-26); he played line 1 with Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe; 18:59 of ice time against a usual 20:03.
• Alex Turcotte moved into his even-strength seat, line 2 with Mats Zuccarello and Alex Laferriere; 15:35 of ice time against a usual 10:50.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (EDM) was on the second line and the first power-play unit of the projected chart on Sep 28. In EDM's last game (Sep 29 vs VAN):

• Vasily Podkolzin took his place on the first power-play unit, 65% of EDM's power play (4:22 of 6:46), against a usual 12% (82 games, 2025-26); he played line 2 with Leon Draisaitl and Kasperi Kapanen; 18:20 of ice time against a usual 15:24.
• Alex Formenton moved into his even-strength seat, line 1 with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman; 15:09 of ice time.

Ben Kindel (PIT) was on the second line and the second power-play unit of the projected chart on Sep 22. In PIT's last game (Sep 30 at PHI):

• Hendrix Lapierre took his place on the second power-play unit, 32% of PIT's power play (2:11 of 6:55), against a usual 4% (74 games, 2025-26); he played line 4 with Ville Koivunen and Filip Hallander; 13:02 of ice time against a usual 8:50.
• Tommy Novak moved into his even-strength seat, line 2 with Egor Chinakhov and Evgeni Malkin; 16:04 of ice time against a usual 14:17.

Matt Savoie (EDM) was on the second line and the second power-play unit of the projected chart on Sep 9. In EDM's last game (Sep 29 vs VAN):

• Kasperi Kapanen took his place on the second power-play unit, 28% of EDM's power play (1:52 of 6:46), against a usual 9% (41 games, 2025-26); he played line 2 with Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin; 17:55 of ice time against a usual 14:35.

Andrei Kuzmenko (PIT) was on the third line and the second power-play unit of the projected chart on Sep 29. In PIT's last game (Sep 30 at PHI):

• Ville Koivunen took his place on the second power-play unit, 40% of PIT's power play (2:47 of 6:55), against a usual 22% (39 games, 2025-26); he played line 4 with Hendrix Lapierre and Filip Hallander; 13:50 of ice time against a usual 12:50.

Filip Chytil (VAN) was on the third line and the second power-play unit of the projected chart on Sep 24. In VAN's last game (Sep 29 at EDM):

• Drew O'Connor took his place on the second power-play unit, 31% of VAN's power play (0:37 of 1:59), against a usual 10% (82 games, 2025-26); he played line 2 with Max Sasson and Linus Karlsson; 17:40 of ice time against a usual 14:35.

Dakota Joshua (TOR) was on the third line of the projected chart on Sep 22. In TOR's last game (Sep 30 vs NYI):

• Colton Sissons moved into his even-strength seat, line 3 with Nick Paul and Easton Cowan; 11:22 of ice time against a usual 12:30.

Max Domi (TOR) was on the second line and the second power-play unit of the projected chart on Sep 6. In TOR's last game (Sep 30 vs NYI):

• Nick Paul took his place on the second power-play unit, 42% of TOR's power play (3:30 of 8:19), against a usual 24% (51 games, 2025-26); he played line 3 with Easton Cowan and Colton Sissons; 15:43 of ice time against a usual 13:42.

When he returns

The player holding the seat is the one most likely to give it back. Where the two have played on the same team with and without the injured player (five games or more each way), that split is the measure; otherwise it is last game against the fill-in's own usual.

• When Barzal returns, Maccelli is the one most likely to lose the first power-play unit: 62% of NYI's power play in the last game, against 42% of his team's power play over 71 games in 2025-26 (TOR). The two have no shared sample to split.
• When Barzal returns, Holmstrom is the one most likely to lose his even-strength seat: 20:17 of ice time in the last game against a usual 16:44 (79 games, 2025-26).
• When Rust returns, Chinakhov is the one most likely to lose the first power-play unit: 72% of PIT's power play in the last game. In 2025-26 he took 39% of it in 36 games with Rust in the lineup and 31% in 7 games without him (15:54 and 14:11 of ice time).
• When Fiala returns, Byfield is the one most likely to lose the first power-play unit: 55% of LAK's power play in the last game, against 46% of his team's power play over 79 games in 2025-26. The two have no shared sample to split.
• When Fiala returns, Turcotte is the one most likely to lose his even-strength seat: 15:35 of ice time in the last game against a usual 10:50 (62 games, 2025-26).
• When Nugent-Hopkins returns, Podkolzin is the one most likely to lose the first power-play unit: 65% of EDM's power play in the last game. In 2025-26 he took 13% of it in 72 games with Nugent-Hopkins in the lineup and 6% in 10 games without him (15:17 and 16:02 of ice time).
• When McAvoy returns, Clifton is the one most likely to lose the second power-play unit: 25% of BOS's power play in the last game, against 1% of his team's power play over 50 games in 2025-26 (PIT). The two have no shared sample to split.
• When McAvoy returns, Borgen is the one most likely to lose his even-strength seat: 17:43 of ice time in the last game against a usual 18:04 (75 games, 2025-26).
• When Kindel returns, Lapierre is the one most likely to lose the second power-play unit: 32% of PIT's power play in the last game, against 4% of his team's power play over 74 games in 2025-26 (WSH). The two have no shared sample to split.
• When Kindel returns, Novak is the one most likely to lose his even-strength seat: 16:04 of ice time in the last game. In 2025-26 he played 14:17 a game in 77 games with Kindel in the lineup and 14:16 in 5 without him, with 1:19 and 0:50 of power-play time.
• When Savoie returns, Kapanen is the one most likely to lose the second power-play unit: 28% of EDM's power play in the last game, against 9% of his team's power play over 41 games in 2025-26. The two have no shared sample to split.
• When Kuzmenko returns, Koivunen is the one most likely to lose the second power-play unit: 40% of PIT's power play in the last game, against 22% of his team's power play over 39 games in 2025-26. The two have no shared sample to split.
• When Chytil returns, O'Connor is the one most likely to lose the second power-play unit: 31% of VAN's power play in the last game. In 2025-26 he took 3% of it in 12 games with Chytil in the lineup and 6% in 44 games without him (14:40 and 13:48 of ice time).
• When Joshua returns, Sissons is the one most likely to lose his even-strength seat: 11:22 of ice time in the last game against a usual 12:30 (66 games, 2025-26).

Who has gained before

Teammates who are on the team now and played more, or scored more, in the games the injured player missed. Each line is one season on one team, with the games on each side; only splits with five games or more each way are shown.

Goalie injuries

• Connor Hellebuyck (WPG, Suspended) was the projected starter. For WPG's next game (Oct 2), the start model has Stuart Skinner at 80% to start. On his return the crease goes back toward last season's split: Hellebuyck started 57 of WPG's 82 games in 2025-26.
• Filip Gustavsson (MIN, Hip, IR, back no earlier than Nov 1). For MIN's next game (Oct 1), the start model has Jesper Wallstedt at 61% to start. On his return the crease goes back toward last season's split: Gustavsson started 49 of MIN's 82 games in 2025-26, Wallstedt 33.
• Alex Lyon (BUF, Upper body, day-to-day) was the projected backup. For BUF's next game (Oct 1), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is likely to start (@MatthewFairburn). On his return the crease goes back toward last season's split: Lyon started 34 of BUF's 82 games in 2025-26, Luukkonen 34.
• Frederik Andersen (EDM, Undisclosed, Out, back no earlier than Nov 1) was the projected backup. For EDM's next game (Oct 1), the start model has Tristan Jarry at 69% to start.
• Thatcher Demko (VAN, Hip, IR, back no earlier than Dec 21) was the projected backup. For VAN's next game (Oct 1), the start model has Kevin Lankinen at 63% to start. On his return the crease goes back toward last season's split: Demko started 20 of VAN's 82 games in 2025-26, Lankinen 43.

From the beat

> Connor Bedard · @ByScottPowers (CHI): "Connor Bedard will travel with the team for part of the trip, but he won’t be joining them on the ice for any practices"

> Dylan Larkin · @HeleneStJames (DET): "Red Wings' Dylan Larkin, who missed all four preseason games nursing upper-body injury, still skating as extra in practice, not a regular on a line. Wings open season Friday vs. Rangers at LCA."

> Seth Jarvis · @WaltRuff (CAR): "The #Canes have made the following roster moves: Placed on Injured Non-Roster: • Seth Jarvis Placed on Waivers For The Purpose of Reassignment: • Juuso Valimaki Assigned To Chicago (AHL) • Bradly Nadeau • Felix Unger Sorum"

> Mathew Barzal · @stefen_rosner (NYI): "Darche said he hopes Barzal will be back on the ice skating this weekend/early next week. Said he’s isn't someone that will need a lot of skates to ramp up, a few skates and he should be good to go, if all goes well. #Isles"

> Jake Sanderson · @SunGarrioch (OTT): "Jake Sanderson isn’t on the ice today. #Sens"

> Bryan Rust · @PensInsideScoop (PIT): "Bryan Rust (upper body) and Ben Kindel (lower body) are on the ice for Penguins morning skate in Philadelphia wearing what appears to be white no-contact jerseys."

> Ryan Nugent-Hopkins · @FriedgeHNIC (EDM): "EDM coach Mike Babcock said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins suffered an injury in practice. Approximate timeline is two weeks"

> Matt Duchene · @Lassimak (DAL): "Glen Gulutzan added that the injury is unrelated to Duchene’s concussion from last season."

> Brad Marchand · @JamesonCoop (FLA): "#FlaPanthers on the ice for practice in San Jose. Brady, Forsling and Markstrom not skating. Marchand is out there."

> Ben Kindel · @king_jemison (PIT): "Bryan Rust goes to IR alongside Brazeau, Kindel, Lizotte and Graves. Andrei Kuzmenko was designated as non-roster. Tristan Broz is listed as injured non-roster. Only 22 players, so Lizotte could be activated from IR without sending anyone down. He practiced yesterday."

> Jason Zucker · @rachelmlenzi (BUF): "The #Sabres initial 23-man roster is finalized -- none of the goalies are on injured reserve ... but Mattias Samuelsson, Jason Zucker and Conor Timmins are on IR to start the season. ⬇️"

> Brock Faber · @RussoHockey (MIN): "Brock Faber will open season on injured reserve retroactive to last Friday. So Wild Dman will miss Thursday’s season opener but theoretically could be activated as early as Saturday’s home opener. David Spacek and Charlie Stramel have made initial roster."

> Mackie Samoskevich · @DFOFantasy (SEA): "Mackie Samoskevich: Injury: Samoskevich missed Saturday’s preseason game due to an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day."

Other status changes this week

How it works

Statuses come from the site's player status table, which combines the CBS injury feed, ESPN where CBS is silent, and the operator's own corrections. A status is new when it began in the last seven days. "Back no earlier than" is the earliest date the written timeline gives; a note with no date gets none. The seat a player held before the injury is the projected chart's last snapshot before his status began. Fill-ins come from each team's most recent regular-season game, derived from the NHL shift charts; power-play share is the player's power-play time over his team's. With/without splits use only players on the team now, this season once there are five games each way, otherwise last season.