Extra, extra, read all about it! Here is the November 8, 2026 edition of the Injury Ward.

Whatever they're putting in the water down in Nashville is definitely working. The Predators have ZERO injured personnel, and are currently riding an impressive 4-game win streak with victories over the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning during this stretch. Plus those Hometown Remix jerseys are SWEET!

With all other 31 teams reporting at least one injury to their lineup, it is safe to say the league is sufficiently banged up already, and then some.

But it's not all bad news. Today's Injury Ward article is packed with progress updates and expected returns, so let's get into it!

Here are the key injury updates heading into the week:

Morgan Rielly (D) – TOR – day-to-day – Rielly isn't in the lineup for Sunday's game against the New Jersey Devils after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Rielly was riding a bit of a hot streak heading into Saturday's contest with eight assists in his last seven games, and has contributed 12 apples in 18 games overall. The 14-year veteran defenseman has seen a reduction in his time on the ice this season, which means his secondary categories like shots (21), hits (23), and blocks (8) are down. This is likely a sign of things to come as he gets older and the team around him gets younger. This might be the sign you needed to move on from Rielly and look elsewhere for support on the backend.  

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (C) – EDM – day-to-day – Nugent-Hopkins, the newly-crowned leader of games played for the Edmonton Oilers franchise, left Saturday's game versus the Vancouver Canucks after taking a puck to the side of the head on a shoot-in attempt by his teammate. He did not finish the game and left immediately. RNH missed the first nine games of the season with a lower-body injury, but he suited up for the nine contests that followed, posting four goals and seven assists over that span. Head coach Mike Babcock spoke with the media following the game, and didn't seem too concerned for Nugent-Hopkins' future, as reported by the NHL.com media team.   

Aleksander Barkov (C) & Brad Marchand (LW) – FLA – week-to-week – On Friday, Jameson Olive of the Florida Panthers' media team reported that Barkov and Marchand will be travelling with the team on their current three-game road trip. But don't adjust your lineups just yet. Due to the heavy workload the Panthers have over the next few weeks schedule-wise, this is more of a logistical decision than a declaration of an early return from their respective injuries. This allows the two players to participate in team meetings, morning skates, work on drills, and stay near the team while they are away. There won't be an off-day practice in Florida anytime soon, so this was the most sensible decision with their returns on the horizon. 

Marchand and Barkov were given 6-8-week windows for their recovery, with Marchand's injury taking place shortly after Barkov's. Both players resumed skating late in October, and both remain on track for their expected returns. Barkov has just passed the 5-week mark, and Marchand is about a week behind at 4 and a half weeks. This points to a late November return for Barkov and an early December return for Marchand.   

Here are some updates regarding players that are approaching a return to action or have already rejoined their lineup:

Linus Ullmark (G) – OTT – day-to-day – Ullmark was removed from injured reserve on Sunday, as per Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.

After doing some light individual skating late last month, Ullmark joined his teammates for an optional skate on Wednesday. He was then on the ice Friday for a full practice, while taking shots from his peers and even stayed late putting in some additional work on his conditioning. Ullmark also joined the team for their optional skate on Saturday morning.

He spoke with the media after the skate Saturday and was quite coy about his return, neither confirming nor denying he would be playing Saturday night. He did not end up playing, and was not dressed, but all signs point to an imminent return. Head coach Travis Green is hopeful Ullmark will be ready for Tuesday's clash with the Washington Capitals.

Josh Morrissey (D) – WPG – day-to-day – Morrissey recently participated in a regular practice sweater with the hopes of returning to the Jets' lineup, but he was still kept out Sunday for the 14th straight contest. The team has not officially announced a date for his return from his wrist injury, but it looks like it's on the horizon. And not a moment too soon for the lowly Jets as they surely are missing his steady contributions on the blueline. In only four games this year, Morrissey had posted three assists, 12 shots on goal, five blocked shots and a single hit.   

Nick Suzuki (C) – MTL – RETURNED TO ACTION – Returned on Thursday, November 5, after missing six games with an upper-body injury.

John Tavares (C) – TOR – RETURNED TO ACTION – Returned on Saturday, November 7, after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

Zach Hyman (RW) – EDM – RETURNED TO ACTION – Returned on Saturday, November 7, after missing five games with a neck injury.

Devon Levi (G) – EDM – RETURNED TO ACTION – Returned and started the game on Saturday, November 7, after missing seven games with a lower-body injury.

Tristan Jarry (G) – EDM – RETURNED TO ACTION – Returned on Saturday, November 7, after missing time early November due to illness.

Devin Cooley (G) – CGY – RETURNED TO ACTION – Set to return and expected to man the crease Sunday, November 8, versus the Philadelphia Flyers. Cooley was kept out the past week with a lower-body injury.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Injury Ward. My name is Kevin Bissonette, and I will be providing weekly NHL injury coverage, all season long. Please give me a follow on X (@DH_KBissonette), and feel free to reach out with any last-minute questions for your squad or updates from your favorite insiders!

Thanks for taking the time to visit Dobber Hockey and good luck this week!