Here's the latest injury news from across the NHL! If you're looking for information about a specific player and don't see their name in this article, there probably haven't been any significant updates about their progress since our last article. If you ever need injury updates for a specific player, shoot me a message on Twitter @BrennanDeSouza.

Sonny Milano – Did not travel with the team as they kicked off a five-game road trip in Boston on Monday. He's dealing with a head injury and the recovery process for such an injury tends to be unpredictable. As such, there's no concrete timetable for his return.

Adam Henrique – The Ducks forward has been sidelined with a lower-body injury since December 3^rd. Henrique practiced with the team recently and took a big step forward on Sunday. It's possible he plays at some point during the team's current road trip, which extends to January 31^st and includes four more games.

Adam Boqvist – The Blue Jackets defenseman exited COVID protocol on Monday and practiced with his teammates. He also participated in Tuesday's practice, and should return to the lineup on Wednesday against Calgary.

Matt Grzelcyk – Is day-to-day with an upper-body injury that he sustained after taking a hit during Saturday's clash with Winnipeg. Grzelyck has been skating and feeling better recently, but his status for Wednesday's game in Colorado remains up in the air as I write this.

Jack Quinn – Will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. It's a tough break for the 20-year-old rookie, who tallied two points in his first two NHL appearances before sustaining the injury.

Kyle Okposo – Buffalo's winger is dealing with a few bumps and bruises to his upper-body. He's been skating recently but hasn't been taking any contact. If all goes well, he should return at some point during Buffalo's road trip through Arizona, Colorado and Vegas.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen – Remains week-to-week with a lower-body injury that's kept him sidelined since January 11^th. He hasn't resumed practicing with the team, so it doesn't seem like he's close to a return.

Craig Anderson – Was a full participant in practice recently. This represents a big step forward in his recovery from an upper-body injury that's kept him out since November 2^nd. Anderson originally estimated he'd need five to seven full practices before he's ready to return. However, the latest update suggests he's taking an aggressive approach to his rehab, pushing to play before the All-Star break (which begins February 3^rd). He'll travel with the team on their upcoming road trip through Arizona, Colorado and Vegas.

Kevin Lankinen – Chicago's netminder is expected to miss two to three weeks with a hand injury. 

John Klingberg – Dallas' defenseman missed Tuesday's dance with the Devils due to an upper-body injury and is officially day-to-day. Klingberg has 22 points in 34 appearances this season.

Tyson Barrie – Is dealing with injuries to both his upper and lower-body. Barrie's missed Edmonton's last two games and hasn't been skating recently. At this point, I don't expect he'll be ready to return against Nashville on Thursday.

Mike Smith – On January 13^th, the team announced Smith would be sidelined for a week or two due to a partial tear of a tendon in his thumb. He was recently placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), which should be retroactive to his last appearance (January 5^th). Players on LTIR are required to miss 10 games and 24 days of action. Smith has already been sidelined for four games, so I believe he'll have to miss at least six more. Based on my understanding, he isn't eligible to return until February 11^th, when Edmonton hosts the Islanders.

Patric Hornqvist – Is day-to-day with an upper-body injury but has been skating recently. His average ice time is down three minutes from last season and he's gone from a 60-point-pace last year to a 40-point pace this year.

Jonas Brodin – Hurt his hand after blocking a shot against the Bruins on January 6^th and coach Dean Evason said Brodin would be sidelined for more than a week. The Wild defenseman had been skating on his own and was back on the ice with his teammates during Wednesday's practice.

Jake Allen – The Canadiens netminder will be sidelined for eight weeks due to a lower-body injury.  Allen has won just five of his 24 starts this season, sporting a 3.15 GAA and .901 save percentage. His individual numbers areweighed down by the lacklustre team in front of him. 

Brendan Gallagher – Was on the ice for Tuesday's practice but wasn't taking any contact. A lower-body injury has kept Gallagher sidelined since December 30^th.  

Carey Price – Recent reports indicate that the 34-year-old netminder will be back on the ice in two weeks or so. He still hopes to play this season, but that ultimately depends on how his knee responds to the team's current treatment plan.

Jonathan Drouin – Is dealing with an upper-body injury and hasn't been practicing recently. He probably won't be in the lineup against the Ducks on Thursday but his status beyond that is up in the air.

Christian Dvorak – Took a hit to the head during Monday's game against Minnesota and wasn't on the ice for Wednesday's practice. The team said Dvorak had a therapy day on Wednesday, so we'll see what that means for his status heading into Thursday's game against the Ducks.

Mackenzie Blackwood – The Devils netminder is dealing with a heel injury that seems relatively serious. He also missed the beginning of this season with a heel injury. If this is a reaggravation of that ailment, the team will definitely be more careful with the recovery process this time around. There's no timeline for Blackwood's return as I write this.

Ty Smith – The Devils defenseman is dealing with an upper-body injury but there's no concrete timetable for his return.

Dougie Hamilton – It's been about three weeks since Hamilton had surgery to repair his broken jaw. He's started to skate on his own and will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

Ryan Pulock – Has been sidelined with a lower-body injury since mid-November but his status was recently upgraded to day-to-day. Pulock has been working hard on the ice recently but I haven't seen any news of him participating in any full-contact practices. He'll need a few of those before he's ready to return.

Kaapo Kakko – The 20-year-old forward is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury and could be sidelined until after the all-star break. He's scoring at a 30-point pace this season, maintaining the same rate of production he put up in his sophomore year and rookie year.

Drake Batherson – The high-scoring winger suffered a high-ankle sprain when he crashed into the boards awkwardly – the result of a reckless hit from Sabres netminder Aaron Dell. The Sens haven't released a concrete timetable for Batherson's recovery just yet. However, he's expected to be sidelined for an extended period and definitely won't be able to attend the all-star game.

Sean Couturier – Has been week-to-week with an upper-body injury since mid-December. On Wednesday, we learned he could miss the rest of the season if the Flyers end up pursuing surgery as a treatment option. At this point, the team is trying to avoid that route, but with the playoffs out of reach, Philly's main priority is ensuring Couturier is 100% for next season. For what it's worth, Couturier was seen skating in sweatpants and a sweatshirt on Wednesday.

Ryan Ellis – On Wednesday, we learned Ellis could miss the rest of the season because of the lower-body injury that's limited him to just four appearances this year. At this point, the team is trying to avoid surgery. However, with the playoffs out of reach, Philly's main priority is ensuring Ellis is healthy for next year.

Joel Farabee – The 21-year-old forward is expected to miss up to four weeks with an upper-body injury. Farabee is on pace for 45 points this season, a step down from last year's 57-point pace.

Jason Zucker – Will be out week-to-week after undergoing a procedure to repair his core muscle injury on Tuesday.

Erik Karlsson – On Monday, the Sharks defenseman had surgery to repair a small muscle tear in his left forearm. Injuries of this nature tend to vary in recovery time, but Karlsson will be re-evaluated in mid-March. It's a tough break for Karlsson, who was having a resurgent campaign with 26 points in 33 appearances.  

Jamie Oleksiak – Seattle's defenseman is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Erik Cernak – Has been sidelined since blocking a shot with his foot on January 13^th. Tampa plays three more games before the all-star break and Cernak won't play in any of them. He'll be re-evaluated after the break.

Ondrej Palat – Was sidelined with a lingering injury but has been practicing recently and is expected to return on Thursday against New Jersey.

Jake Muzzin – The Leafs defenseman was sidelined with a concussion but has been practicing with the team and recently started taking contact. He won't play against the Ducks on Wednesday but will undergo some tests to determine when he can return.

Max Pacioretty – Has been skating recently and initial reports indicated he could return at some point during Vegas' current road trip, which includes a stop in Florida on Thursday and Tampa on Saturday. Pacioretty has been sidelined since undergoing wrist surgery on December 30^th.

Alec Martinez – Has been skating recently and is close to returning from a head injury, which has kept him out since late November. He's officially day-to-day and it sounds like a return is imminent.

T.J. Oshie – Hasn't been skating recently and remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Nikolaj Ehlers – Injured his left knee after a knee-on-knee collision last Tuesday. He was recently placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), which comes with a mandatory absence of 10 games and 24 days. As such, he won't be eligible to return until February 14^th – although he may be sidelined for longer depending on how he feels.  

NHL's COVID-19 Protocol List

Over the past few weeks, many players have been placed in COVID protocol. There isn't really much information available for each case, so I've simply listed the date that each player entered protocol. In the past, players stayed sidelined for about 10 days, but the league and player's association agreed to let vaccinated individuals leave isolation five days after a positive COVID test, if they have no symptoms or if symptoms are resolving. That early exit is only possibly if allowed by local health authorities.

Last Tuesday, we learned that the NHL plans to stop testing asymptomatic players after the All-Star break. This should result in fewer players being sidelined in COVID protocol going forward, as only players showing symptoms will have to take a test. All players will also be tested before cross-border travel between Canada and the United States.

Below is a list of fantasy-relevant players currently sidelined due to COVID.

Josh Manson – Entered COVID protocol on January 18^th and was still in protocol as of January 23^rd. Anaheim begins a road trip through Eastern Canada on Wednesday. In order to cross the border into Canada, players must be at least 10 days removed from a positive test.  As such, Manson probably won't be available to face the Leafs on Wednesday or the Habs on Thursday.

Anthony Stolarz – Entered COVID protocol on January 15^th and was still in protocol as of January 23^rd. His mandatory quarantine should be finished ahead of Wednesday's game in Toronto, but he'll need a negative test to exit protocol.

Thomas Greiss – Entered COVID protocol on January 17^th and was still there as of January 24^th. He'll probably need a few practices once he exits protocol, so I don't expect he'll be available for Detroit's next few games.

Zach Hyman – Entered COVID protocol on January 20^th. His five-day isolation should be complete ahead of Thursday's clash with Nashville, but his status for that game hasn't yet been determined.

Gustav Forsling – Was placed in COVID protocol on January 19^th.

Cole Caufield – Entered COVID protocol on January 18^th. He tested positive while the team was in the States, but the Canadiens are now back in Montreal, starting an eight-game homestand on Thursday. In order to cross the border into Canada, players must be at least 10 days removed from a positive test. As such, Caufield won't be available against Anaheim on Thursday. He's keeping his conditioning up by skating in Wisconsin until he's allowed to cross the border.

Eeli Tolvanen – Entered COVID protocol on January 22^nd.

Nikita Kucherov – Was placed in COVID protocol on January 25^th.

Tanner Pearson – Tested positive for COVID-19 on January 25^th.

Thatcher Demko – Was placed in COVID protocol on January 20^th.

Conor Garland – Was placed in COVID protocol on January 16^th. Should be eligible to return against the Jets on Thursday.

Bo Horvat – Was placed in COVID protocol on January 18^th. Based on my understanding, he tested positive while the team was in the US, but the Canucks are currently back in Canada, scheduled to face Winnipeg on Thursday. In order to cross the border into Canada, players must be at least 10 days removed from a positive test. As such, he probably won't be available until Saturday's game in Calgary.

Jaroslav Halak – Was placed in COVID protocol on January 15^th. Should be eligible to return against the Jets on Thursday.

Reilly Smith – Entered COVID protocol on January 24^th.

Josh Morrissey – Was placed in COVID protocol on January 25^th.