Middleton has not played Minnesota's previous two games due to an illness but could be an option on Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks. The 29-year-old defenseman is averaging 18:07 time-on-ice and has one assist in 16 games this season.

Borgen showed no signs of an injury in New York's most recent game, scoring his first goal of the season in a 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, but was absent from practice on Friday, tending to an upper-body injury. It's unclear if he will be able to play on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Hughes has already missed four games this season due to an injury and will be a game-time decision on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The talented 26-year-old defenseman has be great when in the lineup, scoring 13 points (1G / 12A) in 14, but has had trouble staying healthy recently, missing 14 games last season as well.

O'Connor has been effective in a middle-six role this season, playing every game this season, but could miss his first game of the season, as he continues recovering from an illness. The 27-year-old forward has eight points (4G / 4A) in 18 games this season.

Gibson was playing reasonably well against his former club, the Anaheim Ducks, on Thursday night, saving 15 of 17 shots (.882 SV%), but exited the game during the second intermission due to an upper-body injury. The Red Wings mentioned after practice that Gibson will be okay and ready to join the lineup on Saturday.

Tkachuk suffered an injury in the third game of the season, underwent thumb surgery, and has been sidelined since. The Senators Captain is almost five weeks into his original 6-8 week recovery timeline and will be joining the team on their upcoming seven-game road trip. The 26-year-old Tkachuk scored points (0G / 3A) through three games this season prior to his injury.

Chabot suffered an upper-body injury in the first period of Tuesday's game and was unable to return. He did not play on Thursday and will miss at least one more game as he continues his recovery. The 28-year-old defenseman has 10 points (2G / 8A) in 17 games this season.

Matthews suffered a lower-body injury after being hit by Nikita Zadorov halfway through the second period of Tuesday's game and was unable to return. He was placed on Injured Reserve and will not be eligible to return until, at earliest, November 18th. The 28-year-old Matthew has 14 points (9G / 5A) in 17 games this season and is expected to be sidelined for at least one week. Max Domi has been elevated to Toronto's top powerplay unit to replace the injured Matthews.

Rossi didn't show any signs of an injury in Minnesota's most recent game, but head coach John Hynes announced that Rossi will miss some time due to a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old was off to a decent start this season, scoring 13 points (4G / 9A) in 17 games, but was limited to only one point (1G / 0A) in his last five.

Newhook violently crashed feet-first into the board in Thursday's 7-0 loss to the Dallas Stars, exiting the game with a lower-body injury after only 5:54 time-on-ice. Injuries of this nature have been devastating for players in the past, but Newhook was eventually able to skate off the ice with some assistance. The Canadiens will likely provide an update on his status in the coming days.

Gibson was playing reasonably well against his former club, the Anaheim Ducks, on Thursday night, saving 15 of 17 shots (.882 SV%), but exited the game during the second intermission due to an upper-body injury. The Red Wings did not provide a concrete update on Gibson, but if he misses any time, expect Cam Talbot to see most of the workload between the pipes.

Killorn took a puck to the face at morning skate on Thursday, but will play in the evening against the Detroit Red Wings. The 36-year-old Killorn is averaging 16:32 time-on-ice and has five points (1G / 4A) in 16 games this season.

Hyman missed the second half of last year's playoffs after enduring an upper-body injury and has yet to play in the 2025-26 season. Hyman is just one season removed from a 54-goal campaign in 2023-24 and will hope to get off to a hot start when he is able to return.

Granlund had a slow start to his Ducks' career, with only three points in his first six games before having a massive five-point game (2G / 3A) in game seven. However, any momentum he had was halted, as he was injured in his following game and has been sidelined for eight consecutive games since. He returns to the lineup on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings.

Poehling was a surprise scratch on Thursday, with the team not announcing the injury prior to warmups. Poehling's absence will make room for Mikael Granlund, who is set to return from a lower-body injury.

MacEwen has played minimally this season, appearing in only three games, and could be sidelined for at least a week after exiting Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks with an undisclosed injury. The 29-year-old forward has six hits and zero points this season.

Gaudreau has not played since mid October due to an upper-body injury, and is about four weeks into his original 4-6 week timeline. The 32-year-old Gaudreau was averaging 12:52 time-on-ice and has one assist through four games before his injury.