An MRI confirmed the worst for Auston Matthews, who will miss the rest of the regular season with a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion. In case you missed it, Matthews was injured on a knee-on-knee hit from Radko Gudas during the second period of Thursday's game against Anaheim.

pic.twitter.com/0ii7t51gRl

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 13, 2026

Given the recent winless streak (snapped at eight games on Thursday) and the lack of response from Matthews' teammates after the hit, the Maple Leafs are more likely to finish the season on a whimper instead of a bang. That makes it difficult to strongly recommend any Leafs players to add as a result of Matthews' absence. However, it's worth noting that Matias Maccelli finished with a goal and two assists on Thursday, has eight points in his last seven games, and was on the top power play after Matthews left the game. Both of Maccelli's assists in this game were on the power play.  

Also of note is that Matthews snapped a 12-game goalless drought just minutes before the hit. That's the kind of season it has been for both Matthews and Leafs fans. Matthews finishes with his first-ever sub-30 goal season and his first sub-point-per-game season since his rookie campaign of 2016-17. The Matthews injury also could be the final nail in the coffin for the Leafs' playoff hopes. The Leafs have made the playoffs every season since Matthews' rookie season of 2016-17.

In addition to being ejected from the game, Gudas has been suspended for five games, which is the maximum allowable for a phone hearing. Matthews' agent Judd Moldaver described the suspension as "laughable and preposterous," which many hockey fans would wholeheartedly agree with. Gudas is a popular bangers league option for his hit totals, but he will be much easier to replace in fantasy leagues than Matthews. With the suspension, Gudas will be on pace to finish with fewer than 200 hits for the first time since 2019-20.

–

Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar, and Trevor Moore each scored for the Kings in their 3-2 win over the Islanders. Kempe is on the hot list again with six goals and 11 points over his last nine games.

Emil Heineman scored both goals for the Islanders, while Bo Horvat assisted on both of Heineman's goals. Horvat has five points over his last four games.

Matthew Schaefer logged 29:24 in this game, which is a new single-game career high for him.

–

Robert Thomas scored the overtime winner and added an assist in the Blues' come-from-behind 3-2 win over Edmonton. The Blues were trailing 2-0 midway through the third period before tying the game in regulation and winning in overtime with just nine seconds left. Dating back to January because of injury and Olympic break, Thomas has points in nine consecutive games with 14 points over that span. Other teams will no doubt continue to try to get their hands on Thomas this offseason.

Cam Fowler scored one of the other Blues' goals and added an assist. Barely registering a pulse for much of the season, Fowler has a six-game point streak with seven points over that span. Prior to that, Fowler had just 18 points in his first 60 games. His power-play time has actually decreased as the season has gone on.

Assumed to be a slam-dunk lottery team given their trade deadline activity, St. Louis has gone 6-0-1 in its past seven games. Players like Fowler, Jimmy Snuggerud (5 G and 4 A in last 5 GP), and Dylan Holloway (5 G and 7 A in last 9 GP) have found their way onto the Frozen Tools hot list. All of them are under 50% rostered in Yahoo leagues, which would make them solid pickups down the stretch, right? Well, don't forget to check your upcoming schedule, as the Blues have a light fantasy schedule in some fantasy playoff formats. They are also the only team to play in just two games next week, with all 31 other teams playing either three or four games.

Kasperi Kapanen and Connor McDavid score the Oilers' goals. McDavid continues to do his thing, leading the league in scoring with 111 points in 67 games.

–

Speaking of the schedule, let's see what the weekend looks like.

Teams with games both Saturday and Sunday: Anaheim, Minnesota, Montreal, Ottawa, San Jose, Seattle, Toronto, Winnipeg.

Every team has at least one game on either Saturday or Sunday.

I'm in the process of preparing for my fantasy playoffs in multiple leagues, so my recent adds, drops, and trades have leaned toward players on teams with heavier schedules during my fantasy playoffs in each league. One particular league of mine uses a playoff schedule from Monday, March 23 to Sunday, April 12, which is the first schedule breakdown listed in the Schedule Stretch Run section of the Midseason Guide. During that time period, Montreal and Ottawa (along with New Jersey) have the heaviest schedules with 12 games each. By adding Habs and Sens to your roster this weekend, you may also be thinking ahead to your fantasy playoffs!

In addition to the Midseason Guide, you can also determine your players' playoff schedules by using the Schedule Planner on Frozen Tools. I probably use the Schedule Planner more than any other tool on the Frozen Tools website for my own fantasy teams.

Here are some players of interest over the weekend and perhaps beyond.  

Alex Newhook

In one league, I added Newhook because he seemed like the best available option on the Habs. With 18 points in 24 games, Newhook would be on a 60-point pace over an entire season. I would bet the under in that scenario, as peripherals such as a 25.0 SH% and a 20.0 5-on-5 SH% suggest a regression. There's still a lot to like, as Newhook is on what appears to be a second line with Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. In fact, you could just as well swap Kapanen in here if one is available but not the other. Kapanen is in the top 5 in rookie scoring with 33 points in 64 games. Both are under 10% rostered in Yahoo.

Thomas Chabot

At over 50% rostered in both Yahoo and Fantrax, Chabot might not be available in your league. However, his value has received a short-term boost with the week-to-week injury to Jake Sanderson. No stranger to PP1 duties in the past, Chabot has also been heating up recently with six points over his last six games, with all points at even strength. Chabot should be able to add to peripherals as well with all the icetime he is receiving (28:32 on Wednesday). I made a point to inquire about Chabot in one of my leagues, which turned out well for me because the other team was willing to include Kyle Connor as well in a trade for some prospects.

Jacob Fowler

Only 21 years of age, Fowler was recalled on Wednesday to start against Ottawa. He did not disappoint, stopping 32 of 34 shots he faced in the Habs' 3-2 win. Meanwhile, Sam Montembeault is sputtering along with just one quality start over his last five games. Fowler isn't guaranteed to start one of the Habs' two games on the weekend (check GoaliePost for the latest), but get ready to pounce if he does. San Jose and Anaheim both have young energetic offenses, but Fowler (6% Yahoo) could be a sneaky good stream if he receives another start on the weekend. He posted some impressive numbers (19-7-1, 2.23 GAA, .916 SV%) with the AHL's Laval Rocket this season.  

Related to this, the Canadiens acquired goalie Hunter Shepard from Ottawa on Friday in a swap of minor leaguers. Since this trade occurred after the deadline, Shepard is not eligible to play in the NHL for the rest of the season, which means he has to fill the role of AHL goalie. That could mean Fowler is in the NHL to stay.

And looking ahead to next week…

Alexis Lafreniere

Mentioned in this week's Looking Ahead, onetime first overall pick Lafreniere has nine goals and 15 points over his last 10 games. The Rangers also have one of the best schedules for the playoff period starting next week on Monday, March 16 until Sunday, April 5.

Gabe Perreault

If Lafreniere (18% Yahoo/64% Fantrax) is unavailable in your league, Perreault (1% Yahoo/41% Fantrax) should be considered a nice consolation prize. Recently vaulted to the Rangers' top power play, Perreault has four goals and nine points over his last six games while on a line with Lafreniere and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers' season might be finished for all intents and purposes, but somebody has to fill the scoring void left by Artemi Panarin. This late-season scoring surge from Lafreniere and rookie Perreault could also be a glimpse into next season. Just be aware that J.T. Miller may be activated from IR soon, even as early as today.

Mavrik Bourque

With injuries to Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz, and Tyler Seguin, Bourque has assumed a more prominent role. Up to seven points in his last six games, Bourque has also seen his icetime increase over three minutes per game from Quarter 1 to Quarter 4. He has also taken a regular even-strength turn with sharpshooters Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston, both of which have reached 35 goals. Bourque is only 3% rostered in Yahoo and 37% rostered in Fantrax, so he's readily available. Dallas also plays four games next week.

–

Follow me on X @Ian_Gooding and Bluesky @goodsfantasyhockey.bsky.social