NHL Injury Roundup: Latest on Canadiens' Kreider, Panthers' Marchand and Barkov, And More

The 2026-27 NHL season has nearly reached the quarter mark and the injury bug has made its way around most of the league's 32 teams. 

Whether it's short or long-term, it can be difficult to keep track of all the players who will be in and out of your favorite team's lineup on any given night.

Let's take a look at some of the most noteworthy injury updates that were revealed over the past few days:

After sustaining an apparent leg injury in the Canadiens' 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Nov. 12, the team announced on Saturday that the veteran forward is set to miss six-to-eight weeks.

The 35-year-old has played 19 games for the Canadiens this season and has posted three goals and nine points.

Both Makar and MacKinnon picked up lower-body injuries in the Avalanche's 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 12. MacKinnon was seen grabbing at his right side after colliding with Senators defensemen Artem Zub in the middle of the second period.

Makar played just 13:57 and left the game after a four second shift saw him awkwardly skate to the bench and head down the tunnel. The 28-year-old left practice early just four days earlier after appearing to be in some discomfort, but it is unclear if the two situations are related.

The last game Huberdeau played was on Feb. 4, but the 33-year-old is nearing a return as he's close to fully recovering from hip resurfacing surgery he underwent in March.

According to Pat Steinberg of QR Calgary 770 AM, Huberdeau will not travel with the Flames as they embark on a three-game road trip, but he has been skating in a regular sweater at practice.

The reigning Conn Smythe winner is making his return on Saturday. Staal played just six games to start the season before being sidelined with a partially torn calf muscle, an injury he sustained during pre-game warmups against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 11.

The Hurricanes have been no worse for wear without the 38-year-old captain, putting together a 15-3-2 record as the top team in the Eastern Conference.

Heiskanen exited in the second period of the Stars' matchup against the Washington Capitals on Nov. 4 and has missed the the team's past three games with an upper-body injury.

The 27-year-old has been ruled out for the Stars' clash against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday and his timeline to return remains unclear. Heiskanen has registered three goals and 11 points in 15 games to start the season.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice announced on Nov. 10 that he expects both Marchand and Barkov to return to action in approximately two weeks. Barkov suffered a knee injury on Oct. 1 during the team's second game of the season against the San Jose Sharks. The captain missed the entirety of the 2025-26 season with a knee injury, but this time around he avoided surgery to his other knee.

Marchand was sidelined just two games later on Oct. 6 against the Los Angeles Kings with a lower-body injury of his own. The 38-year-old missed the entire pre-season and first two games of the year while recovering from surgery in the summer to repair a sports hernia.

Barzal was seen skating with a non-contact jersey with the Islanders over the past week and The Hockey News' Stefan Rosner reported on Nov. 14 that the 29-year-old was finally a regular participant with no contact limitations ahead of the team's matchup against the Kings on Thursday.

Barzal missed the start of the season with knee inflammation that aggravated a previous condition, but has been upgraded to day-to-day.

The Mammoth placed Guenther on injured reserve on Nov. 11 as a result of an upper-body injury and he is expected to miss two-to-four weeks. The 23-year-old has posted six goals and 12 points in 18 games to start the season.

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