McGinn has not played since suffering a lower-body injury on November 18th. The 30-year-old has six points (3G / 3A) and is averaging 11:44 time-on-ice through 17 games this season.
Barzal has not played since suffering an upper-body injury at the end of October but has be actively skating on his own. After a stellar 2023-24 season, scoring 80 points (23G / 57A) in 80 games, Barzal started the 2024-25 campaign slowly, with only five points (2G / 3A) in 10 games.
Matthew Nieto will be a healthy scratch on Friday, allowing Glass to make his return from a concussion. The 25-year-old has not played since November 7th and has four points (0G / 4A) in 14 games this season.
Drysdale has missed 11 straight games due to an upper-body injury but appears to be nearing a return to the lineup. The 22-year-old Drysdale is averaging 20:35 time-on-ice and has three points (1G / 2A) and a -10 plus/minus through 15 games this season.
Ersson has not played since November 11th, missing 10 games due to a lower-body injury, and remains on Injured Reserve after speculation that he might have been able to return to the lineup on Thursday. Before his injury, Ersson was beginning to come to form, allowing only seven combined goals in his last five outings (3-0-1), posting a stellar .940 SV%.
Deslauriers has been sidelined for 11 straight games due to an upper-body injury. The 33-year-old Deslauriers has been limited to only seven games this season, tallying one point (0G / 1A) and 15 hits while averaging 6:05 time-on-ice.
Arvidsson is battling an undisclosed ailment, has missed nine straight, and has no timeline to return. He struggled to succeed in the early going of his first season with the Oilers, scoring five points (2G / 3A) in his first 16 games, but was named to the Swedish roster for the upcoming Four Nations tournament.
Hyman has missed the previous five games due to an undisclosed ailment but will draw back into the lineup on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 32-year-old Hyman, coming off a career-best 54-goal campaign, has struggled in the 2024-25 campaign, with only eight points (3G / 5A) in 20 games.
Kane has missed five straight due to an upper-body injury and will draw back into the lineup on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators after being activated from IR earlier in the day. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer has struggled this season, scoring only 10 points (3G / 7A) through 20 games.
Guentzel left practice early on Tuesday due to an undisclosed ailment but will play on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. The 30-year-old Guentzel has been productive in his first season with Tampa Bay, scoring 22 points (10G / 12A) in 23 games.
Sabres' head coach Lindy Ruff is hopeful that Dahlin's injury will not be a long-term concern but his absence from the lineup on Thursday remains a crushing blow for the team. Dahlin exited Tuesday's game in the third period after playing 17:16 time-on-ice. The 24-year-old Dahlin has 19 points (6G / 13A) through 25 games this season. The Sabres recalled Ryan Johnson from Rochester (AHL) as a possible lineup replacement for Dahlin on the blueline.
Paul will return from a six-game absence on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. Before his injury, Paul was pacing for the best offensive season of his career with 13 points (5G / 8A) in 17 games.
Kucherov will not play on Thursday, missing a second straight game, but Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper is hopeful he will play on their upcoming three-game road trip. The 31-year-old Kucherov is among the league leaders with 34 points (12G / 22A) in 22 games this season.
The Islanders have recalled goalie Marcus Hodberg from Bridgeport (AHL) on an emergency basis with Varlamov sidelined due to a lower-body injury. If Varlamov misses any time, expect Ilya Sorokin to see the entire workload between the pipes for the Islanders.
Zegras left Wednesday's game vs. Vegas after just 6:08 TOI with an ugly-looking lower-body injury and did not return. It is a tough loss for the Ducks as the 23-year-old has been playing better as of late, with seven points (3G/4A) in his last nine games. Anaheim is expected to provide a further update in the upcoming days.
