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 last week's article. If you ever need injury updates for a specific player, shoot me a message on Twitter @BrennanDeSouza.

Mason McTavish – Has been skating recently as he recovers from a lower-body injury. He's fulfilled the week-long absence that's required when one is placed on Injured Reserve, which means he's now eligible to return whenever he's healthy. Don't be surprised if he's back in the lineup on Thursday against the Sabres.  

Craig Smith – Is not travelling with team for their two-game road trip through Florida and Carolina. The hope is he'll be feeling better by Saturday, when the Bruins host the Panthers.

Samuel Girard – Is officially day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He's dealing with some soreness after taking an awkward hit into the boards during Saturday's game against the Lightning. 

Pavel Francouz – Is still week-to-week with a sprained ankle but has started skating again and it sounds like he's progressing well.  Darcy Kuemper hasn't exactly run away with the starting job in Colorado, sporting a 3.22 GAA and .900 save percentage through five appearances. Francouz could provide some sneaky value in fantasy leagues once he returns to the lineup.

Devon Toews – Had shoulder surgery during the offseason and has been skating frequently. He was recently cleared for controlled contact, which is an encouraging step in his recovery. Once he's able to take full-fledged contact consistently in practice, we can start expecting a return.

Adam Boqvist – Missed Monday's game against the Stars with what coach Brad Larsen described as "some issues going on" physically. Boqvist will have had a few days to rest before Columbus' next game, which is scheduled on Friday against the Rangers.

Max Domi – We're about nine days into the original two-to-four-week recovery timetable assigned for Domi's rib fracture. He's been skating recently but hasn't been a full participant in practice just yet.

Jason Robertson – The 22-year-old forward will be back in the lineup on Wednesday against the Golden Knights. He had been sidelined for the past six games while recovering from a shoulder injury that he sustained in Dallas' final preseason game.

Mike Smith – The 39-year-old netminder reportedly tweaked something in his lower body during last Tuesday's clash with the Ducks. As a result of the injury, it's very doubtful that Smith will be available to face the Flyers on Wednesday, but he hasn't been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Canucks.

Anton Lundell – Is officially day-to-day with an upper-body injury. While he won't be in the lineup on Wednesday night, he's expected to travel with the team on their upcoming two-game road trip through Detroit and Boston. The 20-year-old rookie has five points in five appearances this season.

Drew Doughty – The Kings defenseman sustained a lower-body injury after taking a leg-on-leg hit in Friday's game against the Stars. Fortunately, it doesn't look like Doughty suffered any ligament damage on the play, but he's expected to undergo further imaging, which should give us a better idea of how long he'll be sidelined. He was off to a hot start this year, posting seven points in his first four appearances.

Joel Edmundson – On October 6^th, it was announced that an undisclosed injury would keep the Canadiens defenseman out for two to three weeks. It's been three weeks since that announcement was made, but he spent some of that time at home, dealing with a family matter. Edmundson is now back in Montreal and should return to the lineup shortly after the team's current west-coast road trip – so some time in early November.

Jack Hughes – The 20-year-old forward dislocated his shoulder last Tuesday against the Kraken. He won't require surgery and is undergoing physical therapy as part of the rehab process. There were no new updates as of this Tuesday, but he's expected to be re-evaluated at some point this week.

Mackenzie Blackwood – Participated in Tuesday's practice – an encouraging sign in his recovery from offseason heel surgery. There's no concrete timetable for his return, but it sounds like he's getting close. In other news, Blackwood recently received his first dose of the COVID vaccine and should be eligible to cross the border when New Jersey's first game in Canada rolls around in early December. 

Jonathan Bernier – Is officially day-to-day with a lower-body injury but has been skating recently. Nico Daws and Scott Wedgewood are sharing the net with both Blackwood and Bernier sidelined. The depth netminders have struggled thus far, so I wouldn't rush to pick them up from the waiver wire. 

Semyon Varlamov – It sounds like the 33-year-old netminder has fully recovered from the undisclosed injury that made him unavailable for New York's first six games of the season.

Kaapo Kakko – Was a full participant in Tuesday's practice, indicating he has recovered from the upper-body injury that kept him sidelined recently. On Monday, coach Gerard Gallant said he expected Kakko to play against the Blue Jackets on Friday.

Ryan Reaves – Is officially day-to-day with a lower-body injury that isn't believed to be too serious. 

Matt Murray – Sustained a neck injury when he took a knee to the head during Saturday's game against the Rangers. He was placed on Injured Reserve and will therefore be sidelined for at least a week. Murray will travel with the Sens on their three-game road trip and could be available to play in Chicago or Minnesota.

Shane Pinto – Is expected to miss a week or two with an upper-body injury.

Ryan Ellis – The Flyers defenseman is out day-to-day and isn't expected to play against the Oilers on Wednesday. He has been skating recently and is travelling with their team during their three-game tour of Western Canada.

Bryan Rust – The Penguins forward is officially week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He has been skating by himself and participating in a few on-ice workouts recently. Once he starts practicing with the team, we can start anticipating a return.

Sidney Crosby – The Penguins captain underwent wrist surgery in early September that came with a recovery timeline of at least six weeks. That timetable has run its course, which indicates Crosby should be ready to return soon. He's been on the ice frequently in recent weeks and has been consistently participating in team practices. As I write this, his status for Thursday's game against the Flames remains up in the air. 

Evgeni Malkin – Has been participating in a number of on-ice workouts recently and seems to be moving around pretty well. He's still weeks away from a return but the recovery process has been going smoothly so far.

Chris Driedger – Last Tuesday,the 27-year-old netminder was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. We haven't heard much about the nature of the injury or how long he's expected to be out, just that he's been skating these last few days.

Nikita Kucherov – Last Tuesday, the star winger was placed on long-term injured reserve with what is believed to be a core/groin injury. Recent reports indicate that Kucherov will be sidelined for another eight weeks or so.

Petr Mrazek – On Tuesday, the Leafs netminder practiced with the team for the first time since suffering a groin injury on October 14^th. He felt really good during practice and it sounds like he'll be back in the lineup very soon – perhaps against the Red Wings on Saturday or the Golden Knights on Tuesday?

Mark Stone – No real updates since we learned that Stone won't require surgery for the lower-body injury he's been dealing with. Last we heard, his official status was in between day-to-day and week-to-week.

Max Pacioretty – Is officially week-to-week with a lower-body fracture that he sustained after blocking a shot. He was recently placed on long-term injured reserve, which requires a player to be sidelined for 10 games and 24 days. I'm not exactly sure when the clock would have started ticking on that mandatory period of absence, but in any case, Pacioretty isn't expected back any time soon.

Alec Martinez – The Golden Knights defenseman is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. As I write this, his status for Wednesday's tilt with the Stars remains up in the air.

Nolan Patrick – Is officially day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Patrick is expected to undergo further testing to reveal more about the nature and severity of the injury he's dealing with.

Zach Whitecloud – The Golden Knights defenseman is officially week-to-week as there's some concern he broke his hand blocking a shot.

Nicklas Backstrom – Has been on the ice frequently and is progressing well in his recovery from a hip injury. Backstrom is currently on long-term injured reserve and isn't eligible to return until November 6^th when the Caps face the Flyers.

NHL's COVID-19 Protocol List

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

Players can end up on this list for a number of different reasons, including an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed and subject to confirmatory testing, mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals, required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol, isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol (Source: NHL.com).

Jonathan Toews – Wasn't on the ice for morning skate ahead of Wednesday's game against the Leafs.

Patrick Kane – Wasn't on the ice for morning skate ahead of Wednesday's game against the Leafs.

Kris Letang – The Penguins defenseman tested positive for COVID and is currently dealing with symptoms of the virus. Based on my understanding, he won't be eligible to return until late next week, which means he'll definitely miss Thursday's clash with Calgary and Saturday's tilt with New Jersey. Of course, his eventual return date will depend on how quickly he recovers from his current symptoms.

Jeff Carter – The 36-year-old center tested positive for COVID but is asymptomatic. It sounds like Carter's 10-day stint in COVID protocol ends on October 31^st, so he'd be eligible to play on November 4^th when Pittsburgh hosts the Flyers.

Ryan O'Reilly – Tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday and will be sidelined for at least four games as a result. He's symptomatic and won't be eligible to play until November 7^th – when his 10-day self-isolation period will have run its course. Keep in mind, his return may be delayed if he needs extra time to recover from his current symptoms.

Brandon Saad – Tested positive for COVID on Thursday and won't be available for St. Louis' next two games – against Colorado on Thursday and Chicago on Saturday.

Blake Wheeler – Winnipeg's captain tested positive for COVID-19 and has been dealing with symptoms of the virus. Based on my understanding, his mandatory 10-day self-isolation period should have run its course by Thursday, when the Jets take on the Kings. With that being said, we haven't heard any recent updates on his status so there's no telling when exactly he'll be back.

Mark Scheifele – Tested positive for coronavirus last Wednesday but remains asymptomatic. As I write this, there's no timeline for his return.