Here’s the latest news in the world of NHL injuries! To see injury updates from around the league as soon as they’re made public, follow me on Twitter @BrennanDeSouza!

John Gibson – An illness prevented him from participating in Monday’s 4-2 win over the Kings. Players don’t tend to miss too much time when they’re sick, so I’d expect Gibson to be available for Anaheim’s next game – a clash with the Capitals on Friday night. 

Josh Manson – It’s been about six weeks since the Ducks announced that Manson would miss five to 10 weeks of action while recovering from a sprained knee. He has been skating on his own and recently participated in a few drills with the rest of his team. Manson is expected to engage in a full practice very soon and should be back in the lineup shortly. Expect John Gibson’s numbers to improve when Manson returns, as the 28-year-old defenseman is very good at preventing the other team from scoring. 

Patrice Bergeron – Has been skating on his own recently and while it’s unlikely that he’ll be in the lineup on Thursday against Chicago, he could return on Saturday against the Avalanche or Monday against the Senators. David Krejci has frequently played with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak during Bergeron’s absence and has managed an impressive 18 points in his last 15 games. 

Rasmus Dahlin – Has been watching his team practice from the bench recently but won’t accompany them as they travel through Western Canada. That trip includes a game in Calgary on Thursday, Vancouver on Saturday and Edmonton on Sunday – so Dahlin probably won’t feature in any of those games. Coach Ralph Krueger likes to have Dahlin around the team while he recovers from a concussion, but he noted that the young defenseman is still a ways away from a return. 

Martin Necas – Coach Rod Brind’Amour is hopeful that the 20-year-old forward won’t be out long term as he deals with a lower-body injury. Necas didn’t participate in Wednesday’s practice, so it’s unlikely that he’s in the lineup against the Sharks on Thursday. We can talk about a return once he starts practicing. 

Erik Haula – Is dealing with tendonitis – an inflammation or irritation of a tendon, which attaches bone to muscle. The team isn’t very concerned as they believe he’ll make a full recovery and be back shortly. He has been working out in the gym recently and is expected to start skating soon. 

Andrew Shaw – Is in concussion protocol and did not participate in Wednesday morning’s practice. He has 10 points in 26 games this season and it’s unlikely that he matches the career-high 61-point pace he set last year with the Habs. 

Robin Lehner – Wasn’t involved in Monday’s 4-0 loss to the Blues because he was dealing with flu-like symptoms. He was on the ice for Wednesday’s practice so he should be available for Chicago’s next game on Thursday against Boston. Lehner has shown that his success last season wasn’t just a result of a strong defensive system in New York. Through 14 games this year he has a 2.69 GAA and .929 SV%. 

Duncan Keith – Won’t be in the lineup on Thursday against the Bruins or Friday against the Devils because of a groin injury. His status beyond that hasn’t yet been determined. The 36-year-old has just 6 points in 25 games this year and is on pace for a career-low 20 points. 

Dylan Strome – Will travel with team and undergo evaluation prior to Thursday’s game against the Bruins. He’s missed a few games while in concussion protocol but has been practicing, so I’d expect him to be back in the lineup soon. He had 10 points in nine games leading up to this recent absence. 

Erik Johnson – Is week-to-week with an upper-body injury and won’t travel with the team as they visit Toronto on Wednesday, Montreal on Thursday and Boston on Saturday.  

Andre Burakovsky – Is expected to play on Thursday against the Habs after taking part in Wednesday morning’s skate in a regular jersey. The 24-year-old forward has been outstanding this season with 24 points in 21 games and 12 in his last nine. Keep an eye out to see if the return of Rantanen and Landeskog affect his offensive production. 

Gabriel Landeskog – There’s a strong chance he plays on Thursday against the Canadiens. He was a full participant in Wednesday morning’s skate, so even if he doesn’t return on Thursday, he should back very soon (Saturday against the Bruins?). Landeskog last played on October 26th and may need a few games to catch up to the pace of the game – or he might follow in the footsteps of teammate Mikko Rantanen who tallied four points in his return, after being sidelined for over a month. 

Zach Werenski – Is expected to miss four weeks with a shoulder injury. He had been one of the most productive players on a team that has struggled to score this season. He sits third in team scoring with 16 points in 26 games, behind only Pierre-Luc Dubois and Gustav Nyquist who each have 18 points in 27 games. 

Jimmy Howard – Hasn’t been practicing as he’s dealing with a soft tissue injury. For some reason, he’s still owned in 11-percent of Yahoo Leagues. For those of you that own Howard in your fantasy league, may I ask why? He’s won just two of the 12 games he’s played, posting a 3.98 GAA and .883 SV% in the process. Are you a masochist? 

Zack Kassian – Won’t be in the lineup on Wednesday when the Oilers host the Senators and remains day-to-day with a back injury. The 28-year-old is on pace for a career-high 56 points this year, thanks in large part to his linemates Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. 

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Has been skating on his own and could be back in the lineup at some point during the team’s four-game homestand. Edmonton will host the Sens on Wednesday, Kings on Friday, Sabres on Sunday and Hurricanes on Tuesday. As of right now, we know he won’t be in the lineup against the Senators, but his status after that is still up in the air. 

Jared Spurgeon – Is expected to miss about two weeks of action with an upper-body injury. Sources told the Athletic that Spurgeon broke a bone in his hand when he blocked a shot from Aleksander Barkov during Tuesday’s game against the Panthers. The 30-year-old defenseman has six points in six games prior to the injury. 

Mikko Koivu – Is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and probably won’t be in the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Lightning. He’ll try to skate on Thursday morning and the team will decide accordingly whether he’ll face Tampa Bay. The 36-year-old is on pace for just 35 points this year and, which would mark the lowest point-pace of his career. 

Mikael Granlund – Missed Tuesday’s game against the Lightning with a lower-body injury and is officially day-to-day. He’s on pace for just 35 points which would be the lowest total of his career since he put up eight points in 27 games during his rookie season of 2012-2013.  

Jack Hughes – There was a possibility he’d be available for Tuesday’s game against the Golden Knights. While he ended up sitting out and missing his third straight game, the fact he wasn’t ruled out for the game earlier in advance makes me think that whatever injury he’s dealing with isn’t too serious and won’t cause him to miss too much action. 

Craig Anderson – Has been taking shots in practice and could be available for Wednesday’s game against the Oilers. The team should announce whether Anderson has been medically cleared shortly before puck-drop. 

Nolan Patrick – Has been skating frequently over the past week but there’s still no timetable for his return as the recovery process has been inconsistent. The headaches he’s experienced as a result a migraine disorder continue to come and go, but he says that the process is more complicated than just headaches – alluding to more symptoms that he didn’t discuss. While it’s encouraging to hear that he expects to play at some point this season, this is a situation in which all parties must exercise patience. 

Justin Schultz – Practiced with the team on Tuesday while wearing a no-contact jersey. The Penguins would probably like to see him participate in a full practice before reinserting him into the lineup, so it’s unlikely that he’ll be available for Wednesday’s game against the Blues.

Patric Hornqvist –Is expected to miss a month of action as he recovers from a knee injury. He had just one point in his last seven games after putting up 10 in his first 13. 

Brian Dumoulin – Will be out at least eight weeks following surgery to repair lacerated tendons in his ankle. John Marino has been a pleasant surprise amidst the numerous injuries afflicting Pittsburgh’s blueline. The 22-year-old rookie has seven points in his last nine games. 

Bryan Rust – Has been skating on his own recently but remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury. While he probably won’t be in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Blues, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back in Pittsburgh’s next game on Friday against Phil Kessel and the Coyotes. 

Alex Killorn – Is day-to-day with a lower-body injury but has been practicing with the team recently so I don’t think he’ll be out for too long. The Lightning next play on Thursday against the Wild and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Killorn return for that game. 

Mitch Marner – He practiced with the team on Monday, for the first time since suffering a high-ankle sprain early in November. He was just activated from injured reserve and should make his return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Avalanche. 

Alexander Edler – An upper-body injury will keep Edler out of the lineup for the next two weeks, after which he’ll be re-evaluated. The 33-year-old has had a strong start to the season considering he’s seeing less time on the power play this year due to the emergence of Quinn Hughes. Edler has 15 points, 54 hits and 80 blocks in 27 games. 

Nicklas Backstrom – Will be a game-time decision on Wednesday when the Capitals face the Kings. He’s missed the team’s last six games with an upper-body injury and coach Todd Rierden won’t insert him into the lineup until he’s feeling 100-percent ready. 

Non-Injury Related Absences 

Devan Dubnyk – Won’t travel with the team to Tampa Bay on Thursday or Carolina on Saturday as his wife is dealing with serious medical issues. 

Jacob Markstrom – Was granted a leave of absence to attend his father’s memorial service and is expected to rejoin the team on Saturday.

Marc-Andre Fleury – Is on personal leave after his father passed away last week, he was expected to join the team at some point on their current road trip but the Golden Knights only play one more game – Thursday against the Islanders – before returning home.