Chatfield last played on November 6th due to a concussion, but will return to the lineup on Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. The 29-year-old stay-at-home defensemen is in his sixth season in Carolina and has three assists, eight PIMs and 20 SOG in 13 GP this season.

Viel is averaging 10:00 time-on-ice and has yet to score a point in eight games this season. He heads the sidelined due to an undisclosed injury. Riley Tufte will draw into the lineup as Viel's replacement.

Honzek made his NHL debut last season, going without a point in five games, but was starting to show promise as an NHL regular this season. The 21-year-old forward scored four points (2G / 2A) in 18 games this season. He was a shoe-in to play for Slovakia at the upcoming Winter Olympics in February, but will likely still be sidelined by then.

Chatfield last played on November 6th due to a concussion, but has rejoined Carolina at practice earlier this week and could return to the lineup on Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. The 29-year-old stay-at-home defensemen is in his sixth season in Carolina and has three assists, eight PIMs and 20 SOG in 13 GP this season.

Evans was on the receiving end of a high hit from Washington's Tom Wilson in Thursday's 8-4 loss. Evans did not return to the game, exiting in the second period, but seems to have avoided a serious injury, as he could be an option to play on Saturday. The 29-year-old Evans has six points (3G / 3A) in 20 games this season.

The start to Sturm's tenure in Minnesota was delayed due to an injury that needed surgery before the start of the season, but he should make his Minnesota debut shortly, now that he has been activated from Injured Reserve. After winning a cup with Florida in 2024-25, Sturm signed a two-year, $4 million contract with Minnesota in the offseason. He is coming off a seven-goal, 14-point campaign across 62 games with both San Jose and Florida in 2024-25.

Benson has not played since October 30th due to a lower-body injury, but has returned to practice. He should return to the lineup shortly, but will miss one more game, beginning with Friday’s contest against the Chicago Blackhawks. The 20-year-old Benson was off to a hot start before his injury, scoring eight points (0G / 8A) through eight games.

Bogosian has not played since October 17th due to a lower-body injury, but will draw back into the lineup on Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Through five games this season, the 35-year-old Bogosian is averaging 13:53 time-on-ice, recording zero points and a +3 plus/minus.

On Friday morning, the Jets surprisingly announced that Hellebuyck will be sidelined for four to six weeks after undergoing a minor Arthroscopic knee procedure. The 32-year-old Hellebuyck has been a workhorse for the Jets for the previous several seasons, missing minimal time and being among the league leaders for games played. His impending absence likely lessens his chances of repeating as the winner of the Vezina Trophy for a third consecutive season despite another good start in 2025-26, with a 2.51 GAA and .913 SV% through 14 games (8-6-0). Expect Eric Comrie to see a heavy workload between the pipes for the Jets during Hellebuyck's absence.

Zucker has missed seven straight games, but returned to practice this week, and will return to the lineup on Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The 33-year-old Zucker is averaging 14:44 time-on-ice, recording seven points (4G / 3A), 15 hits, and 27 shots in 12 games this season.

Holmstrom had a breakout 2024-25 season, scoring 45 points (20G / 25A) in 75 games, and is producing at a similar, albeit slightly lower rate, in 2025-26, with nine points (4G / 5A) through 19 games. Maxim Tsyplakov will be a healthy scratch to accommodate Holmstom's return.

Greig is battling an undisclosed injury and will miss his first game of the season on Thursday. The 23-year-old Greig has eight points (2G / 6A) in 19 games this season.

Laughton suffered a lower-body injury towards the end of training camp, made his season debut on November 5th, and only played two games before suffering an upper-body injury. The 31-year-old Laughton was limited to only four points (2G / 2A) in 20 games with the Maple Leafs after being acquired before last season's trade deadline. The Maple Leafs hope that he can return to the production he had in his previous two full seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, when he scored 82 points (31G / 51A) in 160 games.

Borgen returned from a two-game absence due to an upper-body injury on Tuesday, but will return to the sidelines on Thursday. The 28-year-old Borgen has two points (1G / 2A) and is averaging 18:38 time-on-ice through 19 games this season.

Josi has been sidelined since October 23rd, but made a major step towards drawing back into the lineup by returning to practice this week. The 35-year-old defenseman had five points (1G / 4A) in eight games this season before his injury. He missed 29 games last season, largely due to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a condition characterized by an abnormally large increase in heart rate upon sitting up or standing.

Tarasenko has missed three straight games due to a lower-body injury, and has been placed on Injured Reserve retroactive to November 11th. The 33-year-old Tarasenko, in his first season with Minnesota, has 10 points (2G / 8A) in 18 games.