Lambos was drafted 26th-overall by Minnesota in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut earlier this season, playing one game. The 23-year-old Lambos has eight points (3G / 5A) in 34 games with Iowa (AHL) this season.
With Matt Boldy (undisclosed) and Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body) on Injured Reserve, Minnesota has recalled Hunter Haight and Nicolas Aube-Kubel from Iowa (AHL). The 29-year-old Aube-Kubel is an NHL veteran of 308 games, but has spent most of the season in the AHL. He has one assist in four games with Minnesota this season.
With Matt Boldy (undisclosed) and Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body) on Injured Reserve, Minnesota has recalled Hunter Haight and Nicolas Aube-Kubel from Iowa (AHL). The 21-year-old Haight made his NHL debut earlier this season, playing two games. He remains in search of his first career point.
Eriksson Ek exited last Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Seattle Kraken after only 7:57 time-on-ice due to an undisclosed injury and has not played since. The 28-year-old Eriksson Ek is averaging 19:34 time-on-ice and has 32 points (11G / 21A) in 45 games this season. He on Saturday afternoon against the Buffalo Sabres, but his placement on Injured Reserve suggests he may miss at least one more game.
Boldy showed no signs of an ailment in yesterday's 6-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, but has surfaced on Injured Reserve and will miss at least the next four games before he is eligible to return to the lineup. The 24-year-old Boldy is having an outstanding season, with 51 points (27G / 24A) in 48 games this season. That said, he is amid his worst stretch of the season, with only four points (2G / 2A) in his last eight games.
Stolarz has been out since November 11th, but is getting close to a return to the Maple Leafs crease and has a chance to return before the Olympic break according to Head Coach Craig Berube. Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby have performed well in his absence, but the team will likely send Hildeby back to the Marlies (AHL) when Stolarz is cleared to play. Stolarz said the he likely needs a "couple more practices" before he is ready to play.
Nylander has already missed 10 games this season and reaggravated a previous injury in Thursday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights, exiting the game early in the first period. The 29-year-old Nylander has been outstanding when healthy, scoring 48 points (17G / 31A) in 37 games. He scored two points (1G / 1A) on Thursday in just 2:17 time-on-ice.
Soucy is averaging 17:18 time-on-ice and has eight points (3G / 5A) in 44 games this season. The 31-year-old defenseman leads the Rangers with a +5 plus/minus. The Rangers have recalled Connor Mackey from Hartford (AHL) in a corresponding move.
Mackey is an undrafted 29-year-old defenseman defenseman that has played 42 career NHL games since his debut in the 2020-21 season, but has spent the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign in the AHL. He has seven points (2G / 5A) in 32 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) this season.
Armia has not played in nearly two weeks because of an upper-body injury, but will return to the lineup on Friday against the Anaheim Ducks. The 32-year-old Finnish forward has gained the trust of the Kings coaching staff, seeing an increase in deployment in recent weeks. He has 16 points (9G / 7A) in 41 games this season.
Gauthier was a late scratch in Tuesday's game against the Dallas Stars, as he came down with an illness, but he is set to return to the lineup on Friday against the Dallas Stars. After a hot start to the 2025-26 season, with 21 points (12G / 9A) in his first 17 games, Gauthier's production has cooled off, with 19 points (8G / 11A) in 28 games since.
Kreider is coming off a one-goal performance in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars, but is battling an illness and could miss Friday's game against the Los Angeles Kings. The 34-year-old veteran has 25 points (15G / 10A) in 42 games this season.
Smith has not played in over a month, but has ramped things up over the last week after returning to contact drills in practice, and could return to the lineup as soon on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings. The 20-year-old second-year player has 29 points (12G / 17A) in 33 games this season.
Kuemper has struggled in recent games, losing seven of nine (2-4-3), while posting a less-than-stellar 2.94 GAA and .880 SV%. That said, he will return to the crease on Friday against an Anaheim Ducks team that he has been statistically solid against in his career, posting a 2.48 GAA and .912 SV% in 19 career games (10-6-1). The Kings enter Friday's contest against the Ducks, who defeated the Dallas Stars 3-1 on Wednesday to snap a nine-game losing streak (0-8-1), as -130 home favorites.
Before the 2025-26 season, Englund exclusively played in the NHL for the previous two seasons. That said, the 29-year-old defenseman has spent the entirety of this season in the AHL, where he has six points (2G / 4A) in 30 games with the Milwaukee Admirals.
Blackwood has not played since New Year's Eve due to a lower-body injury, but was activated from IR on Wednesday and will return to the crease on Friday against the Nashville Predators. The 29-year-old Blackwood has struggled with injuries throughout his career, a trend that has unfortunately continued this season, but he has been exceptional when healthy, posting a stellar 2.07 GAA and .924 SV% in 16 games (13-1-1). The Avalanche enter Friday's contest as enormous -300 home favorites against a Predators team on a two-game winning streak.
Colton has been productive in primarily a bottom-six role for Colorado this season, scoring 20 points (5G / 15A) in 45 games. He did not practice on Thursday because of a lower-body injury, but he will not miss any time and will suit up to play on Friday against the Nashville Predators.
Sweezey in an undrafted defenseman that played nine game for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2022-23 season, but has otherwise exclusively played in the AHL. The 29-year-old has 11 points (1G / 10A) in 34 games with the Providence Bruins (AHL) this season.
With the Blues hoping to get back into playoff contention, they will need to roll with their more consistent goalie, Joel Hofer. The 25-year-old Hofer is tied for the league lead with four shutouts and has a 2.81 GAA and .902 SV% in 25 games (10-9-2). That said, Hofer had a poor start to the season, but he has corrected it with an exceptional 1.94 GAA and .927 SV% in his last 14 games (8-6-0). The Blues enter Friday's contest as +168 home underdogs against a scorching-hot Tampa Bay Lightning team that is on an 11-game winning streak.
Jonas Johansson was absent from practice on Thursday, which was initially classified as "body maintenance," but may actually be something that could keep him out of the lineup, as indicated by the recalling of Brandon Halverson from the Syracuse Crunch (AHL). The 30-year-old Johansson has been serviceable in a supporting role this season, posting a 2.73 GAA and .896 SV% in 18 games (10-6-1).
